Calls-to-action (CTAs) are website prompts that encourage users to take action. These marketing elements consist of specified commands or action phrases, such as "Buy Now", "Contact Us", "Email Us", or "Sign Up." They also have clickable buttons or hyperlinks that lead directly to sales.
CTAs are used for contact forms. Without them, users won't know what to do after navigating your site. They may also struggle to know where to buy your products, send enquiries, or sign up for your services.
The placement of CTAs is crucial in contact forms. Whether you're developing or refining your website, this post will help you understand its importance, benefits, and best practices. We'll also provide the best CTA placements for successful conversions and sales.
Why CTA placements matter
CTA placements can influence your conversion performance. CTA buttons placed in prominent and easily-accessible positions are more likely to be noticed and clicked by users. Meanwhile, CTAs that are hidden or challenging to find are less likely to generate conversions.
When considering your CTA placements, you must focus on user experience and journey. The ultimate goal is to draw users' attention and convince them to purchase your offers or learn more about your company. A CTA placed next to relevant content or form is often more likely to convert than in an unrelated location.
For example, the "Sign Up" button is ideal on the homepage where users explore. "Buy Now' is for a product page where users are ready to purchase.
Best practices for CTA design and placement
Knowing where to put CTAs in contact forms isn't enough. Before placing your CTAs in different website positions, there are factors you must consider. Here are the four essentials of CTA creation, design, and placement to ensure high conversions and sales.
Make the CTAs visible and clickable
Your CTA buttons should be distinguishable. Users should instantly recognise and differentiate them from other website elements. They should also immediately know they are clickable.
While experimenting with creative CTA designs, ensure these buttons have identifiable features. Here are some characteristics your CTAs must possess:
- visible and readable texts and fonts
- contrasting colours that are easy on the eyes
- coloured borders and defined shapes
CTA buttons don't need to be bright or rectangle-shaped. You can make them oval or give them rounded corners. You can experiment with different styles so long as they stand out and are visible on the web page.
Create compelling copy
CTAs are more than just visibility. Although these buttons contain short texts, they should effectively entice, engage, and convince users to take action. The command phrases should have compelling copy.
Compelling copy is persuasive. When writing compelling CTAs, you should use strong action verbs to communicate your offers.
Use active language and be specific. Keep the phrases short and concise, always focus on the practical value, and avoid cliches. This way, you can create high-performing CTAs that drive higher conversions.
Choose the right sizes
CTAs with appropriate sizes can quickly draw users' interest. If your CTAs are too large, they will stand out, but they cannot guarantee conversions. Users might ignore these oversized CTAs due to banner blindness.
At the same time, tiny buttons can be challenging for users to see. Tiny CTAs may also be difficult to click on mobile devices, which results in navigation issues and loss of interest. Choosing suitable CTA sizes can prevent these issues from happening.
Ideally, CTAs should be 44 x 44 pixels in size. For Google, any clickable on-screen element must be 48 x 48 pixels.
Perform CTA testing
You shouldn't launch your CTAs without testing them. Regardless of your design and placement, you must perform testing to ensure functionality and the best results.
Perform CTA testing using the A/B method. The A/B testing compares two or more CTA button styles to see which works better. Its goal is to find the version that will generate the most clicks, conversions, leads, and sales. It also helps optimise your CTAs to improve user experience.
Best placements for CTAs in contact forms
Now that you understand CTAs' purpose and their placements' importance, it's time to learn the ideal CTA placements. Let's look at the best CTA positions for your contact forms.
Above the fold
Image from abtasty.com
Your website's fold determines what users first see on your page. Above the fold is the top section of a web page, which is the most significant part of the site. Putting CTAs in this area is essential because it's usually where attention-grabbing elements are found.
Some examples of ideal CTAs for above the fold are:
- Sign up for free
- Download now
- Get started
- Start X-day trial
CTAs above the fold allow users to see, read, and click them without scrolling or navigating. Even if they skim and don't read anything, they'll see the CTAs.
Sticky header
Sticky headers are fixed elements that stick at the top of the websites. These site elements stay put while users scroll down. Since they are visible and fixed in place, they're ideal for displaying CTAs.
CTAs on sticky headers should be compelling. Compelling CTAs can pique interest and encourage users to click to learn more about your services, products, promotions, or contact information.
Sticky header CTAs are often general. Some examples include the following:
- Request/Book a demo
- Get started
- Add to cart
- Subscribe now
Sticky sidebar
Image from freshworks.com
Sticky sidebars have the same functions as sticky headers. The difference is that they're fixed on the websites' side areas. They are considered one of the most prominent parts of web pages.
When users scroll down, sticky sidebars stay in place. CTAs placed in these sidebars enable users to see them while scrolling. If they decide to engage more with your site, they can simply click the sidebar CTA without returning to the homepage.
Some examples of CTAs for sticky sidebars are the following:
- Share to Facebook/Twitter/LinkedIn
- Click here
- Subscribe to our blog
Popup
Screenshot from washingtonpost.com
Popups are another ideal CTA placement. Popups are small windows that appear in front of the content while users scroll. Their appearance is usually timed, while some will pop up when users visit a site.
Popups can contain CTAs that ask readers to subscribe or sign up for newsletters and emails. However, as they pop up, they can sometimes be annoying. It's essential to avoid bombarding users with too many popups.
Some examples of popup CTAs are the following:
- Shop now
- Download my free e-book
- Enjoy my X% discount
- Get my coupon now
Inline form
Screenshot from justinmind.com
Inline forms usually appear at the end of websites. These forms enable users to put their email addresses, sign up for newsletters, download free files, or get promotional codes.
Unlike popup forms, they don't interrupt the user experience while scrolling. The following are examples of inline form CTAs:
- Join our exclusive community
- Contact us
Bonus tips: Place your CTAs throughout the site. Multiple CTAs provide opportunities to see which placements work the best. You can also add hover effects. However, ensure these effects don't overpower the actual CTAs.
Boost your conversions and sales with the right CTA placements
CTAs can drive business growth when done right. Besides optimising their contact form placements, you must ensure they work seamlessly. One way to guarantee a smooth CTA experience is by leveraging managed cloud hosting. This way, you can boost your sales and provide the optimal user experience for prospective customers.
Copyright 2023. Featured post made possible by Ivan Serrano.