What Is a Call-to-Action? CTA Definition & Why You Need to Use Them

Get your audience to do what you want by using clear, actionable CTAs.

A call to action (CTA) is an important part of inbound marketing. Calls-to-action are a way to get your audience to do something through words and images.

Think of them like neon signs saying “take this action” or “click here." As the name suggests, they call the reader to take an action you want them to perform, such as make a purchase, subscribe to your blog, try out a new feature or request more information.

What Is a Call-to-Action?

A call-to-action is an instruction to your audience designed to provoke an immediate response. Many CTAs are used in sales and marketing, designed to direct the audience towards a specific action.

In the online world, this could mean a button that directs you towards a landing page. In the real world, it can be anything from “buy now” on TV adverts or sales flyers, to signs encouraging you to enter a store or attend an event.

A good CTA will:

• Be clear and concise (the user should always know exactly what they need to do next)

• Give users just one option (don’t confuse them by giving them too many choices)

• Have strong messaging (tell users why they should click on your CTA)

Where Should I Include a CTA?

“Don’t bury the lead!” you’ve heard it before. It refers to a journalist who places the most important content at the end of a story, when it should be front and center.

Well, if your call-to-action is below the fold on a web page (yes, we said “below the fold”), you have buried your lead. Users need to see your call-to-action above the fold so they are aware they can click on it and continue their journey through your site.

This is particularly important for pages that build anticipation or require some consideration before clicking—for example, what would happen if a movie trailer ended before revealing its title? How would users feel about clicking on an ad for a product or service without knowing whether it contains what they need? Call-to-actions can provide that crucial information that entices users to click and stay engaged with your site.

In addition to placing CTAs above the fold, make sure you place them in areas where users are more likely to click— such as next to other important content like images or headlines—and on pages where they are more likely to convert (landing pages vs blog posts).

How Do I Create an Effective CTA?

It's easy to do: Just ask.

But make sure you do it right. If a CTA is vague, confusing or just plain annoying, none of your online visitors will convert—and that's a big problem if you want to grow your business.

Read on for some of the best practices for call-to-action buttons:

Use strong language: The best call-to-action phrases are clear, descriptive, and urgent. Use words like "discover," "download," and "learn" to entice people into clicking on your offer, and use words like "now," "fast," and "immediately" to create a sense of urgency.

Make it relevant.: Your CTA should always be relevant to the content around it. If you're sending out an email newsletter with articles about entrepreneurship, for example, your CTA shouldn't say "Sign up for marketing tips!" This would confuse readers and reduce the likelihood of them clicking on your CTA button. Instead of offering something that's not related to your content, tie your CTA into what the reader has already shown interest in by reading the rest of your email.

Keep it simple and direct: You want to avoid confusion and make sure your call-to-action is clear and easy to follow.

Why Is It Important to Have Calls-to-Action on a Website?

CTAs are very important. People often ask me, “Neil, why so serious?” And I say to them with a straight face, “Because the call-to-action is very important.” Every page on your website and every piece of content you create should have a clear call-to-action. Otherwise, what's the point?

When you know what you want your audience to do after they read your content or interact with your company, it becomes easier to tell them what you want them to do next. There's nothing wrong with being direct about this—after all, it's not always clear to the end user what their next step should be. They're inundated with information every day from multiple different sources and platforms; sharing this information can make everyone's life easier!

A call to action. A button. A link. A text. The many ways in which we can entice and close potential customers are infinite, but the end result is always the same: a sale, an email sign-up, a return visit or something along those lines. Remember that the best calls to action stand out from their surrounding context with ease. They're eye-catching, effusive and most importantly — convincing.