Our Top Tips for Creating Effective Calls to Action on Your Website (With Examples & Strategies)
A good website should tell its visitors what to do. Great calls to action combine kick-ass copy and stellar design to achieve the best results.
The term “call to action” usually conjures up ecommerce or donation buttons, but CTAs apply everywhere. They help guide visitors to take the next step, whether that’s contacting you, buying something, booking a service, or simply reading something interesting. If we want users to act, we have to ask them. The magic comes in how we ask, and hence the need for charming, good-looking, strategically placed calls to action.
Your call to action is a link, a button, or some text on your website that your visitors can’t ignore—and don’t want to—because they are intrigued, confident, and ready to click through to the next step. Here are a few simple tips to help you create effective calls to action on your website.
When designing your call to action, ask yourself: Is it prominent? Does it stand out from the rest of the design? A bright button with bold white text saying “Sign up now,” “Buy now,” or whatever the intended action may be is a classic, effective approach.
Prominence isn’t achieved through size alone. You can use contrast, white space, typography, and directional cues to draw attention.
Netflix excels at creating visual gravity. On their homepage, you’ll often see “Join Now”
set against a dark cinematic background. The button appears in Netflix’s signature red—instantly catching the eye. The copy is simple, confident, and benefit-driven. The CTA is centred, isolated, and unmistakable. This combination of colour psychology and layout clarity improves conversion dramatically.
Pro advice: Remember to ensure your CTA meets WCAG contrast guidelines and is easily tappable on mobile—a necessity for accessibility and conversions.
Get to the point. You’re asking for an action. Clear phrases like “Read this” or “Sign up here” tell visitors exactly what to do and what will happen once they click. People skim online. They want clarity, not mystery.
Better yet, pair brevity with value reinforcement:
Spotify often uses:
Primary CTA: “Get Spotify Free”
Secondary CTA: “Get Spotify Premium”
The primary CTA is high-contrast and visually dominant, encouraging low-commitment onboarding. The secondary button still exists for ready-to-convert users. This approach supports both discovery and conversion simultaneously.
Make sure you’re asking your visitors to do what you want them to do. Direct them clearly with your CTA. Without guidance, users must decide what matters most on your website—but many won’t bother.
Modern UX thrives on predictable pathways. When people know what to do next, they move through funnels more easily.
Uber’s rider onboarding often uses a CTA like:
“Start Riding with Uber”
It’s simple, welcoming, and action-oriented. The verb “Start” signals immediacy, and the phrase “with Uber” reinforces brand trust right at the conversion moment. Supporting microcopy below (such as “Download the app to get started”) reduces friction.
Most users now browse on mobile. If your CTA requires scrolling or zooming, it will be missed.
Modern high-converting sites:
A mobile-optimized CTA can increase conversions by 15–30%.
A tiny line of reassurance can dramatically improve conversions.
Examples:
This format acknowledges user hesitation and eliminates it proactively—a fundamental CRO principle.
Humans trust what others trust. Social proof signals legitimacy and reduces risk.
Examples that boost action:
Pairing proof with a CTA increases conversions measurably.
Personalized CTAs outperform generic CTAs by over 200%.
Ideas might be “Continue your saved quote”, “See recommendations for you” or “Finish your application”.
Dynamic CTAs based on user behaviour create relevance, and relevance increases clicks.
Not every section should shout “Buy now.” Too many CTAs cause confusion and reduce impact.
Best practice looks like:
This hierarchy respects the user and boosts funnel clarity.
High-performing CTAs come from testing, not guessing.
Tools like Hotjar, Microsoft Clarity, and Optimizely show you:
Even swapping “Start Today” for “Get Started Free” can change results significantly.
Google rewards pages that align with user intent. CTAs should change based on where the visitor is in their journey.
Informational search visitors prefer CTAs like:
Comparison visitors respond to:
Ready-to-buy visitors respond to:
Matching CTA intensity to search intent supports SEO and conversion simultaneously.
Your Calls to Action are critical for measuring the success of your website and for turning leads into full-fledged customers. Make them a priority when envisioning your site or, if you already have a website up and running, take the time to review how they are displayed and what they have to say. Tweak them accordingly and have your visitors click through to where you want them to go.
At Blue Ocean Interactive Marketing, we are obsessed with getting you results. Contact our team today to create an action plan designed to grow your business.
