There is no such thing as a successful marketing effort unless the emails you send comprise a successful CTA. The fact of the matter is that every email needs to have a purpose, either it’s to inform users of a new product, invite them to an upcoming event, or inform them about the latest offers. Every email marketing campaign has a reason and a goal. In majority cases, that goal is to get readers or users to do something. It could be to click on a link to read further about the topic being discussed or to take action such as register through a call to action button.

Effective communication requires user feedback. Merely gaining subscribers for that great content is not enough. Email marketers should develop call to action buttons so that subscribers can take immediate action.

On another note, to keep your customers engaged, you can subscribe to deal management software.This may allow you to remain on top of communication by reminding you to follow-up some important emails, so nothing falls through the crack.

Below are some of the guidelines to optimize your email call to action:

#1. Use actionable language

Using the second person, action-oriented verbs in the copy empower the readers to click on your CTA.

Strong CTA directs the users to take a particular action. Therefore, using verbs like ‘Download’ or ‘call now’ leave nothing to the users imagination. Whereas, phrases like ‘learn more’, or ‘find out more’ give a subtle message to the user and are generally less persuasive.

#2. Send time-sensitive messages

An engaging message should also feel like a limited time offer. The readers should feel that if they miss out on this opportunity, they might not get it back. Creating a sense of urgency along with the CTA will encourage users to take action. Thus, just adding a word such as ‘now’ will build urgency into the message.

#3. Use first person text

A study shared by Unbounce showed that changing language from the second person (start your free trial) to the first person (start my free trial) in the call to action button drove a 90% increase in the click-through rate.

#4. Keep the copy concise

Wordy messages waste a lot of user’s time, and they consequently tend to skim through it. As a result, they fail to understand what is required of them. To get the audience to take action, restructure the text until the call to action jumps out of the page. It should be totally clear to the reader what the next step ought to be.

#5. Add white space

Including a healthy amount of white space around your call to action button creates a visual break. It draws the readers attention right where you want and makes the CTA button stand out.

#6. Use colors that attract the reader

The color of the CTA button matters a lot. Use a bright, eye-catching color that complements your brand color. This will compel the user to click on your CTA.

Green and orange buttons are said to work best. However, to be very sure as to what color will motivate users to take the action, you will have to perform a few tests. The best bet is trial and error.

#7. Keep the button above the fold

One of the best landing page practices is to keep relevant information above the fold. Likewise, a call to action button should be placed on top of an email or webpage so that it remains accessible and does not seem to be distracting. It increases the scalability of your emails and calls attention to your main message or offer.

Furthermore, never force users to backtrack to click a button. For example, you would want to place “buy tickets now” after the user has read up about your event as it would make no sense for a user to buy tickets for an event they know nothing about

#8. Take care of the hierarchy

Your email may have other action buttons that are not very important. To make sure that the users click on your call to action button, make it stand out. Therefore, it ’s a good idea to use greyscale or monochrome color for that secondary CTA. You want your main CTA to be seen quickly, therefore, place your most important CTA earlier in the email.

#9. Test multiple CTA’s to select the best one for your campaign

Keep tweaking your CTA’s, copy, design, and placement until you find the CTA that gives the best conversion. Create two to three version of your text, or send an email at different timings throughout the day for users to see when the best response comes. You can also try personalizing your CTAs to different customer segments such as leads and users to get the best results.

Moreover, remember that adding a business email signature is crucial when you’re looking for a way to reach out to your customers. Without a signature, your emails will come off as unprofessional and casual and this can effect your email’s CTR.

It’s amazing how a single button can make or break an online business. Now, it’s time to put these practices into use and get your leads to convert to users.

This article is contributed by Alma Causey, Freelance writer at Salesmate.

Have an interesting article or blog to share with our readers? Let’s get it published