In the world of online marketing, timing is everything. And hitting your viewer, reader, or potential customer with your call-to-action (CTA) at the right time, when their interest has piqued, is key. But hitting them too early, like when they first land on your webpage before they've had a chance to navigate your site and get to know your offerings, is too soon for them to opt-in to your sales pitch.
Using a timed CTA is a great opportunity to grab your viewer's attention at the moment when they are most receptive to it. A good option is using a slide-in scroll box. These appear on the bottom right hand corner as the user scrolls down on your website. They're highly noticeable and effective, and they're completely customizable, since they can be triggered based on time spent on the page, location on the website, and the referral source (search engine, social media, other websites, etc.)1
Beyond utilizing timing for more effective CTAs, here are some useful tips for designing a successful one:
- Get straight to the point with your CTA, ideally between two to five words
- Avoid demand words like "submit," "click here," try phrases like "Start My Free Trial"
- What's in it for them? Give them value, i.e. "Schedule My Custom Consultation"
- Give them a sense of urgency with time-sensitive words like "today" and "now"2
- Negative space is your friend. Don't overcrowd the CTA with content, it distracts the viewer
One good example would be this Oracle lead generation email. The CTA is straightforward, explains what they are receiving, and the bold color of the button helps it to stand out.3
Another good example is the Dropbox website. The design and negative space make the blue "Sign up for free" CTA button stand out from everything else on the page. And by making the button the same color as the logo, the visitor can easily assume that it's linked to signing up for Dropbox.4
Contact resellerCONNECT's marketing experts to learn how we can help elevate your CTAs for more effective interaction with your customers. Send us a message or call us at 800-500-3501.
Stay tuned for next month's post where we'll discuss infographics and how to best use them for lead gen.
