Ever passed by a shop window and read a sign that simply made you cross the doorstep? Well, that's a call to action, briefly. Your website is that shop and the doorstep your visitors will cross is the conversion rate of your website. This means that a call to action is a message that will determine the receiver to perform certain behaviour immediately, with the result of a certain profit on both sides, the sender and the receiver of the call. The aim of a good call to action is the immediate response to it. So, the question is: when your visitors see a sign that says "click here" or "register now", how should that sign look like, so that they actually do those actions right away? 
There's no general rule to it, but there are some aspects that must be taken into account when you want to create an efficient call to action: -the text of the message: whether it's a button or a link, or a simple text, keep your copy clear and straight to the point. That means as few words as possible, no misleading phrases and certainly no hidden intentions in your message. -the colors used: if you've ever wondered why "cancel" buttons are generally red and "agreeing" button are generally green, here's your answer! Colors have the ability to evoke emotion; therefore, using a certain color for your call to action triggers a certain emotional response. -the size of the message: if your call to action is represented by a button, that should be the most visible graphic element of the page; if it's a link or text, make sure to set it apart from the rest of the text, using a bigger font size, but not too big though, because you will get the exact opposite effect: people might not take it seriously. -where you place it: last but not least, the placement of your call to action is highly important because it can really make a difference in your online results. Ideally, you should place it in that portion of your web page that can be seen without having to scroll in any direction. That portion is called "before the scroll" or "above the fold", but given the different number of screen inches and numerous screen resolutions available out there, one can never tell the exact dimensions of this portion. What you can do instead is make sure there is enough space around your call to action so that it can stand out from the other elements on your page. Keep in touch, Alexey |
