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. 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 then done, and requires a skillful balance of art and science. From creating urgent and actionable content, to 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. To help guide you through the process of developing powerful calls to action, we’ve gathered 30 of the best call to action examples on the Internet, and will explain why they are effective.
15 of the Best Call to Action Examples on the Internet
1. Hipmunk
When searching for flight and hotel deals online, there are many options to choose from, but some are definitely easier to use than others. Forgoing the often overwhelming options of text, tabs, images and multiple CTAs that tend to clutter other deal sites (Orbitz.com we’re looking in your direction), Hipmunk keeps your options limited, therefore streamlining the calls to action. You’re given the choice to either “Search Hotels” or “Search Flights”, and then depending on your choice, you’re prompted to fill in a little more information, and then a bright orange beacon of a “Search” button with a corresponding icon for flights or hotels invites you to take action. Sleek formatting, intuitive design, and bold colors, make this CTA very effective.
2. 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 “15 seconds to sign up (free!)”. What could be easier?
3. 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 (“Download Spotify”), and while vistors can scroll or click to learn more, the CTA plays the dominant role.
4. Oyster Books
Considered the Netflix for books, Oyster’s call to action pulls the visitor in with strong copy and clean design. The visitor is warmly invited to “Read books, anytime, anywhere” as the adjective describing the books (“best-selling”, “award-winning”, etc.) continually changes. The call to action is clearly straightforward and the design is playful enough to entice the visitor to click. The strength of the CTA is increased with the inviting “Start for Free” button.
5. Disqus
Leading the visitor by example is a great way to engage and create conversions, either by showing them what they can expect or allowing them to interact immediately with your product. Disqus, the blog comment hosting service does both by showing actual user comments and allowing the visitor to get involved in the conversation even before they sign up. Showing the visitor how easy and useful your product is can be far more effective than telling them.
6. 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 “Sign up” button catches the visitor’s eye immediately and the copy, “your stuff, anywhere”, quickly sums up the convenience of the service. And notice that the company name only appears faintly at the top of the page, but otherwise is just implied with the brands logo and color.
7. 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. Once the visitor is enticed by the clear copy and the vivid visual of what the service looks like, you are immediately invited to download the app to your respective device. By offering immediate downloads, Flipboard avoids a lengthy sign-up process that can lose conversions, and also targets specific visitors based on what device they use.
8. Akismet
While visitors might not immediately know what Akismet means, but the copy on their CTA button, “Say Goodbye To Comment Spam” makes their usefulness immediately clear. Nobody likes spam, so who wouldn’t want to say goodbye to it. Clicking on their bright blue CTA button is practically a knee-jerk reaction you can’t avoid. The homepage also clearly states what the service does for those who don’t happen to click right away and want to learn a bit more before acting.
9. 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.
10. Jack Threads
While we can agree that most pop-up ads are annoying, sometimes a clean and simple pop-up CTA can engage the visitor by immediately directing their attention to how to get involved. Jack Threads, the curated and often discounted menswear site, uses one effectively by giving users multiple ways to sign up. Sometimes more than one call to action button can be confusing, but in this case it enables users to take action with the option that makes them most comfortable. The call to action pop-up has the added bonus of using social proof, revealing how many Facebook friends have already liked the page, which adds veracity and trust to a CTA.
11. Airbnb
Those visitors that aren’t familiar with Airbnb, the popular lodging rental site of the sharing economy, can easily “Learn More” on the homepage, however most of the attention is drawn to red search button. After filling out only the most basic information, the CTA invites users to begin using the service immediately. The process of signing up is addressed only later, once the visitor is already engaged. The creative design of sliding videos featuring people enjoying beautiful destinations only adds to the CTA appeal.
12. Gilt
Gilt invites visitors looking for exclusive discounts to take action in two different ways: by creating urgency with a limited time and action-worthy “Shop this Sale” button, and by inviting them to “Join Gilt” after the copy entices with promises of deals on the best brands up to 60% off. The deep gold of the CTA buttons not only stand out from the background, but also suggest the lavish rewards that a Gilt account promises.
13. AppsTemplates
If you’re looking to develop an app, AppsTemplates draws you right into their CTA by offering an immediate discount for unlimited access to their templates. The discount entices users to click in two locations helping to increase visibility, and the “Join the club now” and directional arrow help draw further attention to the CTA.
14. Pressbooks
The homepage for Pressbooks book publishing software engages the visitor with two different CTA buttons to “Register” or “Sign up for free” offering a couple ways to catch their eye. They also offer the added incentive of letting users “See what PressBooks can do” by watching an informative video. Videos can be a really effective way of engaging potential customers and bringing them to the point of conversion.
15. MailChimp
Mailchimp, the email campaign program, grabs visitors’ attention with brief, straightforward copy, “Send Better Email” and then goes further by visually displaying how easy their drag-and-drop set up is. The bold “Sign Up Free” CTA button brings it all together by offering visitors the next logical step in the process.
While the style and design of your call to action will vary depending on your goals and the product or service you offer, hopefully these examples provide you with some inspiration for creating an effective CTA. What call to action examples have you come across that you find most effective? Let us know in the comment section below.
Sources
- “Call To Action Buttons: Guidelines, Best Practices and Examples” (Hongkiat.com)
- “21 Call To Action Examples and 3 Rules for Effective CTAs” (CrazyEgg.com)
- “Resistance Is Futile: 17 Calls-To-Action You Can’t Help But Click” (Hubspot.com)
- “Call to Action Best Practices” (Hubspot.com)
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