Call-to-Action Best Practices by Marketing Channel
Before we dive into how many CTAs to use in each marketing channel, I need to reiterate that every single marketing asset you create must have some sort of call-to-action on the page. Failing to include one only motivates your prospects to stay put and does very little in helping you reach your goals. Even if it’s as simple as a “Call Today” tag on a social media post, calls-to-action have proven to be wildly effective.
In fact, Copy and Check recently analyzed nearly 1,000 SaaS company CTAs and found that every page they reviewed had at least one call-to-action (1). And according to WordStream, emails with a single CTA can increase clicks 371% and sales a staggering 1617% (2). So, regardless of whether you use one or more CTAs on a page, be sure to always include at least one to drive more conversions and more revenue.
Now, let’s break down a few CTA best practices by marketing channel! (Please note that these are suggestions and that every industry and business should list as many or as few calls-to-action as they feel necessary to align with their strategy and meet their goals.)
Number of CTAs per Webpage
Different webpages have different objectives, so let’s start with the homepage and narrow down to the more granular pages.
Homepage CTAs
Your homepage will likely have multiple CTAs because it often serves as your visitors’ initial introduction to your brand. Maybe these users want to learn a bit more about your products and services, so you should have an easy path to help them navigate to your most common and lucrative offerings. Or, they might not even be sure of what they’re actually looking for yet — customers at this point only know that they have a problem and have just started their search for a solution. These prospects might be interested in downloading an eBook or viewing a product overview video, so you should create a compelling CTA to get them to do so.
Then there’s the ultimate goal for any B2B marketer: the “Handraiser.” You’ll want to direct these hot prospects to complete a “Contact Us,” “Talk to an Expert,” or “Book a Demo” form on your homepage. This way, your sales team can follow-up directly (and, ideally, immediately) or at least push the lead back to marketing to be entered into a nurture campaign until they’re in a better position to discuss their needs and a potential purchase.
Product Page CTAs
Most product pages will have at least two CTAs because there are usually two types of visitors. On the one hand, you could have a prospective buyer who’s a little further down the sales cycle and ready to speak with a salesperson. You need to have a prominent call-to-action that gets these handraisers (see above) where they need to go.
On the other hand, as I’ll continue to stress throughout this blog, not every visitor is ready to make a purchase. In fact, some aren’t even close to doing so and have just begun the research phase of the customer journey. These people need content, not phone calls. So give them what they want in the form of an eBook, webinar, podcast, etc. and make sure that you have a strong CTA that clearly instructs them about what will happen and what they will receive if they click on your button.
Support Page CTAs
Support pages will also likely have multiple CTAs because your prospects will likely have several different questions that you might be able to answer without a phone call or through a chatbot. These pages are a great opportunity for you to present all your great content square in front of your audience.
For instance, if someone has a question about a specific product line, you could provide a link that allows them to download an ungated datasheet about that offering. Or if they’re not even sure how or why they might need your services, you could include a link to download a high-level thought leadership piece that is designed to educate prospects who are new to your industry.
Number of CTAs per Marketing Email
Any discussion of CTAs should begin and end with intentionality. What do you want to achieve with this page or this blog or this landing page? Much like webpages, marketing emails often serve different purposes.
A trigger-based email might thank a user for joining a webinar and then take that opportunity to place a single handraiser CTA button at the end of the copy inviting them to book a product demo. Alternatively, a lead nurturing email might have a primary CTA that asks the reader to download an infographic and then a secondary button to get them to schedule a call. As long as you’re motivating your users to take action and providing a tangible benefit if they do so, you’re probably on the right track.