What is a Call to Action? 18 Best Call to Action Examples

You may have the world’s greatest product or service to offer potential customers.

But without a successful call to action, your brilliant business idea is as good as dead in the water.

In this article, I’ve gathered 18 of the best call to action examples on the internet.

Why is a good call to action so important?

Because it’s not enough to just offer people the solution to their problems. You’ve got to entice them to engage with your company to actually convert them to customers.

Of course, creating an effective call to action (CTA) is easier said than done, and requires a skillful balance of art and science.

From creating urgent and actionable content and eye-catching design to the placement on the page, there are numerous variables to consider when creating a CTA that drives conversions and, ultimately, sales.

Call to Action Examples: #1 Pinterest

Pinterest’s homepage immediately focuses your attention on signing up with a vivid floating CTA window.

Your attention is then drawn to the bright familiar blue of the “Continue with Facebook”. This not only makes you feel like you’re continuing something you’ve already started but also gives Pinterest access to much more info about your from Facebook’s API data then they would if you signed up with email.

To further entice you they also highlight that it only takes “Access Pinterest’s best ideas with a free account”.

Two things here: not only are they advertising front and center that the service is free, but that the free price includes the best of Pinterest.

Those are two of the platform’s major features, and they’ve made sure to include them in their CTA.

Call to Action Examples: #2 Spotify

Spotify has become one of the most popular sources for digital music streaming, and judging by the call to action on their homepage, it’s no big surprise.

Even though the background image is somewhat busy, the bright, signature green of the brand stands out clearly inviting visitor engagement.

The language is simple and active for the CTA button (“Get Spotify Free”), and while visitors can scroll or click to learn more, the CTA plays the dominant role.

Again, this one lays out exactly what the user gets from signing up: millions of songs at a free price point.

An offer too good refuse? I think so.

Call to Action Examples: #3 Dropbox

One of the cleanest CTA pages out there, Dropbox eliminates any distractions and through simple text and graphics invites the reader to get started immediately.

The bold blue of the “Try Dropbox Business free” button catches the visitor’s eye immediately and the copy, “work better, safer, together”, quickly sums up the convenience of the service.

And notice that the company includes a small block of text that perfectly sums up the company’s value proposition and the benefit it provides its users.

Well played, Dropbox.

Call to Action Examples: #4 Flipboard

The usefulness of Flipboard, a customizable magazine for news, social, blogs and more, requires some explaining, and the copy on the homepage does so briefly and effectively.

The visitor is immediately greeted by a strong CTA which gives a brief teaser of what users can expect from Flipboard – and it does so in clear, creative language designed to intrigue.

Flipboard does an excellent job of explaining itself in as few words as possible.

Call to Action Examples: #5 Change.org

Location can play an important role in the effectiveness of a CTA, and Change.org does a great job at quickly leading the visitor to get involved.

The tagline for the site (“The world’s platform for change”) leads directly to their “Start a Petition” CTA button, as though it’s finishing the thought and answering your question of exactly how to create that change.

The eye-catching red and concise actionable language of the button is also helpful.

Call to Action Examples: #6 Looker

The first thing you see when you visit the Looker home page is the call to action.

In fact, you can’t miss it because it takes up the whole screen.

The CTA offers two choices: “Start Your PoC” or “Tell Me More.” That gives visitors some level of flexibility as to where they’d like to go with the company.

Looker also makes great use of color in its above-the-fold promo. The banner is eye-catching but not overwhelming.

And take a look at the color of the button of itself. It’s almost red, which will inevitably draw eyes, but not quite red, avoiding any negative connotations users may have with the dreaded red pen.

Call to Action Examples: #7 Blue Apron

Blue Apron delivers a double-whammy with its CTAs.

If you navigate to the homepage, you’ll see it’s regular CTA page, complete with a video of delicious meal prepping and a “Get Started” button.

But if you’re not persuaded by that one, a pop-up will appear as you navigate away, advertising $30 off.

The beauty of the CTA is two-fold: first, it doesn’t just give you the option to accept the coupon. Instead, if you want to get rid of the pop-up, you have to click a “Reject $30 off” button.

Who doesn’t feel a little silly rejecting free money? It makes you stop and think before clicking, which is exactly the point of a well-designed CTA.

Additionally, it features a countdown timer that lets you know the offer won’t last forever. This plays on the scarcity principle that basically makes users feel pressure to get it before it’s gone.

It’s proven to work exceptionally well in marketing, and I bet Blue Apron would agree.

Call to Action Examples: #8 The Persuasion Revolution

The Persuasion Revolution does a lot of things right.

First, it offers a clear, above-the-fold explanation and CTA button.

Second, that button is bright against the stark white, making it an easy eye-catch.

Third, that copy. It’s clever and funny, and it’s persuasive. It makes you think that whoever’s behind this site knows what they’re doing, and makes you want to read more.

And of course, the words used in the CTA button set it apart from your usual button copy. You don’t want to read more or sign up, you want to be persuaded.

On top of that, it gives the reader an idea of the tone and style of the brand right away, which will ultimately help them decide if it’s the site for them or not.

Call to Action Examples: #9 Hotjar

The Hotjar CTA button includes the text that every visitor wants to see: “Try it free.”

It gets better. Just below that button, you’ll see a wonderful phrase that puts people’s minds at ease: “No credit card required.”

Sometimes, SaaS companies advertise a free trial but insist on a credit card number so they can charge people after the free trial period ends. Not so with Hotjar.

There’s also some social proof above the fold: “Trusted by over 300,000 companies.”

Colors are also key: notice (how could you not?) the highlighted “understand your users.”

This is speaking directly to one of its target audiences’ biggest pain points, and incorporating it into its CTA is a brilliant way to get more sign-ups from the right people.

Call to Action Examples: #10 Campaign Monitor

Everything above the fold on the Campaign Monitor home page is the CTA.

The headline reads “Make your emails unforgettable.” That’s exactly what people who are interested in an email solution are looking for.

And, once again, the CTA includes social proof (“more than 250,000 businesses worldwide trust Campaign Monitor”) as well as the helpful “No credit card required” statement.

Call to Action Examples: #11 Pocket

At the top of the Pocket home page, the CTA gives you the opportunity to sign up with Google.

That’s a great way to gather leads because people only have to click a couple of times and they’re done. No need to enter a name or email address.

The CTA also offers visitors the option sign up the “old-fashioned” way: with an email address. In doing so, it gives people a choice.

Call to Action Examples: #12 Bulletproof

The Bulletproof home page features a scrolling call to action. In fact, it’s two different CTAs that each scroll after several seconds.

Normally, that might not be very effective. But in this case, it works.

That’s because the website uses an attractive, eye-catching color scheme.

Also, each CTA has its own button text that goes straight to the point. For example, one button simply reads: “Save 30% Now.”

Call to Action Examples: #13 TaxJar

TaxJar leads with this headline: “Spend Time on Your Business. Not Sales Tax.”

Boom. Short and to the point.

Even better, the subheading includes a magic word: “automate.”

Business owners are always looking for ways to automate processes so they can save time. That’s why the TaxJar CTA is so effective.

Call to Action Examples: #14 Usabilla

“Build Future-Proof Customer Experiences.”

That’s the headline you’ll read when you visit the Usabilla website.

Just below that headline, you’ll see a CTA button that reads “Request a Demo.”

It’s all centered at the top of the page so visitors can’t miss it.

Additionally, there’s another “Request a Demo” button in the upper, right-hand side of the screen. That gives visitors another opportunity to convert.

Call to Action Examples: #15 Sleeknote

The headline on the Sleeknote home page is fairly compelling: “Engage Your Visitors with On-Site Messages.”

But it’s the subheading that probably sets the hook: “Say goodbye to annoying popups.”

That’s important because there’s no shortage of digital marketers who are looking for ways to reach people without the nasty interruptions that accompany traditional popups.

Sleeknote is telling those marketers that it has a solution.

And then there’s the oh-so-important-word “free” in the button text: “Start a 7-Day Free Trial.”

Call to Action Examples: #16 Viral Loops

It’s easy to make blue and red look ugly together. The folks at Viral Loops managed to put those two together in a web design that’s really sharp.

Embedded in that color combination visitors will see this headline: “Referrals Made Easy.”

Say no more. Who doesn’t want more referrals?

The upper third does say more, though. It uses power words like “revolutionary” and “viral.”

The CTA text is simple: “Try For Free.”

Call to Action Examples: #17 The Skimm

Things I love about the Skimm: first, it immediately intrigues with its headline “Making it easier for you to live smarter.

Next, it explains exactly what you can expect from the service: daily emails with all the latest news you need to know.

Then it asks for the signup, while using social proof to inform you that millions have already signed up so your are, in fact, in very good company.

And last, it loses simplicity to get the point across. No crazy colors or graphics, just a striking logo and white background, which makes the CTA box stand out that much more.

Call to Action Examples: #18 Cisco

This one departs from the norm on a list a little, as this CTA actually comes from a display ad.

It’s great because it uses CTA text you don’t see very often: “Are You Ready?”

Why is it so effective? Because the ad copy just above it agitates.

It makes people nervous by reminding them about the possibility of a digital security breach.

Also, the black-and-white backdrop with the shady character in the background is an attention-getter.

There’s not much to read, either. The ad also works because it’s minimalist.

Call to Action FAQs

What is a call to action?

A call to action or (CTA) is the sentence or button that is a direct command for a purchase or action to be made.

It is a one liner sales pitch that the potential customer cannot resist.

It is, literally, calling the customer to take a decisive positive action lower into the sales funnel.

Why do you need a call to action?

Having any boring CTA which does not pop out to the customer means you will miss out on valuable customers and conversions.

A strong CTA will convince costumers to act right now for the benefit of your business.

The two main functions of a CTA is to direct the customer what to do and motivate them to take action to do it.

A good CTA will give the potential buyer the why for pulling the trigger and making the final sale.

How do you write a call to action?

Writing a strong call to action (CTA) includes some of the following steps:

• Start your CTA with a command verb such as “order”, “subscribe”, and “Find out”.
• Give your audience a reason to take action
• Take advantage of people’s fear of missing out
• Be creative
• Demonstrate enthusiasm and an emotional response

Wrapping Up Call to Action Examples

A great CTA can make or break your conversions.

So make sure you take a good look at the examples above, and remember, a great CTA should be clear, colorful, and concise.