Let’s get straight to the point. CTAs are the most important bit of any email. And why not? They make the recipients take ‘actions’ that you desire for. Hence, it’s imperative to comprehend and create them effectively. Today, we’ll learn all about CTAs and how you can enhance their appeal even further.

Here are some of the tried and tested techniques to transform your CTA into a high-converting one. I have covered the important aspects from both content and design perspective, which would give you a comprehensive overview of what to follow and what to avoid. So, let’s get cracking.

Content-related tips

Actionable text

They are called calls to action for a reason. Hence, make sure that they are striking and consist of actionable text to tempt readers. Think beyond ‘boring’ words like click, enter, or submit and go for a persuasive set of words like get, read, and try. You must complete the phrase that supports the verb well. Here are some examples: 
  • Grab the offer
  • Reserve your spot
  • Try it out now
  • Visibility

Talking about standing out, the CTA button should be large enough for better readability, but don’t make it unnecessarily massive. Excessively large lettering can trigger distaste amongst users, which would hurt the brand in the long run. It’s important to grab the users’ attention but do not go desperate for it.

First-person

A study from Unbounce stated that changing the CTA button’s text from the second person (“Start your free trial”) to the first person (“Start my free trial”) led to a 90% hike in clicks. However, these results are subjective of the product and the brand, but still, these numbers speak something.

Urgency

Keeping a time constraint on your offer surely makes it more enticing. CTAs with a sense of urgency for the available offer, be it related to time or stocks, would result in higher click-through rates. A restless buyer is more likely to make a purchase than the one with plenty of time to make a deal. You can trigger them with a simple trick, such as adding the word ‘now’ in your CTA.


In the example mentioned below, both the copy and the CTA are leveraged to create a sense of urgency. However, the CTA is always the final checkpoint that would make the reader click and grab the deal in a hurry.


Source: Really Good Emails


If you are still having a problem to craft a high-converting CTA out, then professional email marketing agency services like Mailchimp email experts or Pardot email templates would make your job a lot easier. Not just your CTA, they can redefine your entire email marketing campaign.



5 tips for designing your call-to-action buttons


Use bright colors

Who doesn’t love bright colors? Well, for CTAs, green and orange buttons are said to best performers. However, you can choose your button’s color depending on your branding. Just make sure to keep a contrasting color for the call to action to stand out.


Here is a brilliant example from GasBuddy about Valentine’s Day offer. See how the color scheme of the email is in sync with the messaging, but still, the CTA manages to stand out. Thanks to the contrast colors used for the button. P.S. - The bright colors really make a much stronger visual appeal to the reader’s mind.



Source: Really Good Emails


Add white space

Be sure to include a healthy bit of white space around your CTAs. The extra white space helps create a visual break and draws the reader’s attention right where you want it. It’s a clean, simple way to make that call-to-action button stand out. The extra white space works best for your mobile readers, too, as it allows a clear area for fingers to click.

No one beats Apple when it comes to leveraging the white space in their branding. Be it their billboards or emails, Apple always manages to say more by saying less. In this specific email, notice how the white space around the blue CTA button automatically makes it stand out.





Source: Really Good Emails

The fold matters

Make sure to place the call-to-action button near the top of your email so that they never miss it. By doing this, you enhance your email’s scannability and direct the user’s attention to the main message or offer. The thumb rule is to always keep the CTA button above the fold.


Follow the hierarchy

Emails also love hierarchy, just like the company you are working for. See, a typical email has links, images, buttons, and other elements as well apart from the CTA. Those supporting elements should not be distracting. Rather they should seamlessly channelize all your user’s attention towards the primary CTA button. Hence, if needed, you should tone down the other things by using gray-scale buttons or matching colors for the secondary CTAs. The main CTA should be the shining star of your entire mail.

Wrapping Up

CTAs are the biggest driving force behind click-throughs in your emails and eventually on your brand’s website. Remember, a high-converting CTA equally depends on both the content and the design. Keep the practices mentioned above in mind and craft that oh-so-irresistible CTA for your emails. If you still find it difficult, then you can always rely on instant email templates like Pardot email templates or Salesforce email templates.