What Is A Call To Action?

A call to action (CTA) is a marketing term used extensively in advertising and selling. It refers to content designed to prompt/provoke an immediate response from the person reading or hearing it. The content is in the form of an instruction, or command, and the response is in the form of a specific action, or directive, usually using an imperative verb, such as ‘Call Now’ or “Click Here”.

Why Is A Call To Action Important?

The call to action is a key element on a webpage, making it clear what action the interested user (and potential customer) should take next. Its purpose is to convert the user into a lead, moving them down the sales funnel, to become a customer. If there is no clear call to action, the user may not know the next steps to take to ‘find out more’ and is likely to leave the site without becoming a lead. The key to a powerful CTA is to provide the consumer with compelling reasons to purchase promptly rather than defer their decision to purchase.
In web design, a CTA generally takes the form of a banner, button, hyperlink or some graphic or text on a website which the user is encouraged to click on, and so enter the conversion funnel. A CTA can be a simple and non-demanding request such as "Read More”. It may be a request for the consumer to provide personal details and contact information which will convert the user into a lead. Or it may be a more demanding request with a sense of urgency such as “Buy Now!”, encouraging an immediate sale.
The success of a CTA can be measured with a click-through rate - a conversion rate formula that calculates the ratio of users who click on a specific link to the number of total users who view a page, email, or advertisement..