9 Ways to Improve your Call To Action Buttons

Call to action buttons have received a lot of hype when it comes to optimizing web page.

While many web owners still ask themselves whether the style of the call to action button really makes all that much difference, tests show that simple changes can and do produce huge results in your click through rates.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at nine ways you can test your call to action button in order to improve performance.

1. Color – Does a red button work better than a blue button? It depends on the design of your page. Test for various colors that fit your color scheme, keeping the principles of color theory in mind.
2. Size – Your button should be big enough to stand out from surrounding elements without making the viewer search. It should be immediately visible from the first glance.
3. Shape – Square vs. round? Oval vs. rectangle? You can determine which shape attracts the most attention and generates the most clicks using simple A/B split testing.
4. Font – Font should be simple and easy to read. Avoid fancy cursive scripts or serif-heavy old English styles that require a second look in order to be read. In addition, consider the size of your font. It should be large enough to stand out from surrounding copy.
5. Position – In general, call to action buttons should be placed above the fold so that even if the viewer doesn’t scroll down, he still sees how the button. You can conduct tests to determine the best place on the page for your button, but remember that most people read web pages from the top left to the bottom right. Effective placement usually falls within this diagonal area.
6. 3-D vs. Flat – A 3-D button uses shading to make the button look like a button rather than a flat shape. Implementing a 3-D design can help attract attention to the button and let people know that it is clickable.
7. Text/Copy – Button copy may seem simple, but in reality the best copy isn’t always the one you think it should be. For instance “Contact Us” may work better than “Free T-Shirt,” even though you might think a free offer would generate clicks. The only way to know is to test.
8. Contrast – Whatever button color you choose, it should contrast with surrounding material. A button that blends in too much will be difficult to see, especially at a glance.
9. Room to Breathe – Give your button room to breathe. Don’t try to cram everything together. Surround the button with plenty of whitespace so that it can stand out from everything else on the page.

As you’re determining the various elements of your call to action button, remember that the only way to know for sure which choice is best is to test. You may be surprised at the results.

Additional Resources:

Creating a compelling call to action

Are they heeding your call to action?

5 tips to improve your calls to action