Marketing

Writing Better Call to Actions that Empower your Customers to Click

Telling your customer to start using your product can sometimes be difficult if they have a hard time understanding why. Before we get into the ways you can improve your CTA’s (Call to Actions), let’s talk about what you should have shared with them before telling them what to do next.

4 min
February 4, 2018
Jacob Miller
Marketing & Brand Manager

Writing better call to actions that empower your customers to click

Telling your customer to start using your product can sometimes be difficult if they have a hard time understanding why. Rather than just telling them “buy now” or “start today,” set them up with a different frame of mind before telling them what to do. You also need to make sure you are providing them evidence to believe that your product will help them, otherwise they may never click.

Before we get into the ways you can improve your CTA’s (Call to Actions), let’s talk about what you should have shared with them before telling them what to do next.

Information you should share before the call to action

What problem does your product solve?

This should be very clear at the beginning of the page, email, or advertisement. Be clear of the benefit that your product provides for them. How will it make their life better than it is right now?

What's the plan for success for your product?

When they use your product, show them what the plan is to make sure they find success. Try to break it down into three simple steps. What does each step provide them? That way they understand the bigger picture without getting confused by any details. Details need context.

CarMax has a great example of getting people the right information before asking them to purchase. Let’s talk about why it works.

Buying a Car?

The offer and imagery

Not only does the text in the header image speak directly to the audience, the image does too. Immediately it connects with a father buying his teenager’s first car. It’s a moment that parents take a lot of pride in and want to do it right. What a great way to establish a strong emotional connection to a targeted audience. If you don’t connect to the photo, the headline still grabs your attention and makes you feel comfortable that “you’ve come to the right place.”

The plan for success

They communicate that they want to make buying a car an easy process. They are here to help you find the right car for you so that you can buy with confidence and not have to worry about haggling with a car salesman. It’s what we all want when we are looking to buy a car right?

How does your product solve the problem?

When you list any features that your product has, be sure to explain why this benefits them. Does it help them save time, money, or even reduce stress? Maybe it empowers them to do more than they could before.

Who has found success with your product?

When there is evidence from people they can relate to, it will make the solution your product offers more believable. Try to include testimonials that speak to a problem a customer had and how your product helped them. It creates trust and helps the potential customer relate more to your product.

”Consumers trust recommendations from a third party more often than a brand itself…”

- Kristen Matthews, Kissmetrics Blog

Setting up the call to actions to be more impactful

Ask a problem question

Reminding them of a problem they face can make them think about the pain and stress they are dealing with. That way they are more open to the idea of solving the problem with your product. They will become more willing to take a chance to remove that stress in their life.

Example: “Are you tired of wasting too much time managing your projects?”

Ask them if they want change in their life

When you ask them if they want to change their life for the better, it can feel like you are here to help them. You become the guide. The helping hand to get them where they want to go. It also puts them in a position to think about what they could do once they have your product.

Example: “Are you ready to start managing your projects more effectively?

Tell them what they will gain

This will give them a sense of empowerment. You tell them what they will be able to do by using your product. You aren’t solving their problem in this type of phrasing, but rather telling them that they can solve their problems on their own with your product. It changes the perspective. Less about you, more about them.

Example: “Start managing your projects more effectively so you can be more successful.”

Words within call to action buttons

Being clear is always the most important part of any but ton. You need to tell them what they get when they select it. The words you use in your buttons can also help make the experience more positive so they don’t feel concerned about trying your product.

Great examples of CTA buttons

MailChimp

MailChimp

Squarespace

Squarespace

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