Conversion rate optimization remains a hot topic among online retailers, and for good reason. The global average eCommerce conversion rate hovers around 2-3%. For retailers looking to grow their revenue, it is critical to optimize each step customers take to get to checkout. Calls to action (CTAs) on your eCommerce site are an important factor in getting shoppers across the finish line and increasing eCommerce conversions.
Types of eCommerce CTAs
There are several types of CTAs you can utilize on your eCommerce site, and different CTAs can also serve different purposes. Below are four types of CTAs that you should employ and optimize on your site:
- Engagement CTA – This creates interaction and community around your brand. Examples could include “Follow us on Instagram” or “Tag us in your post.”
- Lead Generation CTA – This captures shopper information. Even if they don’t make a purchase in that visit, they may click on a CTA to “Sign up for our email newsletter” or “Register for our loyalty program.” This offers a way to nurture current shoppers into future loyal customers.
- Purchase CTA – The most important CTAs on your site, these encourage shoppers to purchase now – whether by clicking “Add to Cart” or “Checkout” on your site.
- Post-Purchase CTA – After a customer has bought from you, continue to engage them by encouraging them to “Leave a review” or “Reorder now.”
There are so many ways to try to guide customers along the buying journey, and the proper strategy involves a combination of the above CTAs. And beyond considering what type of CTA you are using, you also need to optimize the design of the CTA. While some, like the purchase CTAs, are typically a highly visible button in the center or navigation of your site, engagement and lead generation CTAs may simply be a link within a blurb on your website or a social media post.
Regardless of the type of CTA you are utilizing at any point on your site, each one should lead to a clear next step for the customer to take. That could be a newsletter sign-up form, a checkout screen, a rewards program registration page, etc.
Below, we’ll dive into what makes a good CTA, and how to design your CTAs to best engage your customers.
Focus on Visibility First
Visibility is the first factor to consider when designing a CTA for your eCommerce site. Your buttons should be high-contrast, bright, and bold to draw as much attention as possible. Studies show that color is the most important design element, and different colors can greatly impact how customers feel when they engage with your brand. Your CTA buttons should be large, easy to interact with, and show up frequently on your site to guide the customer journey. For hyperlinks, consider bolding the text or using a branded color for the link. The placement of links and buttons can impact their success as well. Try different strategies and test them to see which CTAs work best on which pages on your site, and in which locations on those pages.
Make the Benefits Obvious
Your CTA should communicate exactly what will happen next, and your customers should feel excited to move forward. For example, when a customer clicks “Join our Loyalty Program,” they will expect to see a screen with more details about the benefits of the program and a lead capture form to submit their information. The best call to actions are straightforward and easy to understand for the end user. Make the benefits of your CTA obvious. Whether you are offering a discount or exclusive access to content or a program on your site, give your customers a reason to take action.
Create a Sense of Urgency
You can use language such as “limited time offer” or “while supplies last” to create urgency for your potential customers when designing your CTA. You can do this by creating a CTA specifically to give customers exclusive access to something, like an item that’s out of stock, by asking them for their contact information to notify them when the product is back in stock. You can even add a time sensitive call to action to foster that sense of urgency even more.
Consider Design Across Screens
Mobile-first design is non-negotiable in the modern age of retail, and customers of course use their mobile devices differently than they would a desktop computer. Consider how your CTA buttons will appear on different screen sizes, and how your customers will interact with them. Creating a consistent customer experience across all screen types builds trust and long-term retention with your customers.
Use Action Verbs
Your CTA should include text that communicates exactly what will happen when a customer clicks the button. This is an opportunity to get creative while remaining concise and clear about what will happen next. Use verbs like “claim” “grow” “launch” “discover” or “activate” and consider your customers when choosing this. Don’t forget to make sure your text color contrasts its background for maximum readability.
Keep it Simple
Though it can be valuable to get creative with your CTA strategy, the best CTAs are concise, straightforward, and simple. You want to communicate benefits while encouraging engagement. Your customers shouldn’t have to think too much before taking action.
At Virid, we have helped some of the biggest names in retail optimize their eCommerce sites to drive conversions and long-term revenue growth. Our single-source commerce solution combines our enterprise platform marketAgility 7.0 with agency services and dedicated support, designed to help you navigate even the most complex commerce challenges so you can focus on building your brand. Schedule a consultation today to get started!
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