So you have crafted the perfect subject line for your marketing email, grabbed your audience’s attention and persuaded them to open your email. 

What next? Now it’s time to turn their attention into action.

How? With Call to Action (CTA) buttons that convert.  

Firstly, what are CTA buttons and why are they important?

CTAs are clickable buttons that encourage your audience to take a specific action depending on the goal of your content. They continue the user journey by linking back to your website and are your most vital key to converting visitors into leads. 

Here are some email CTA best practices to ensure your emails convert: 

1. Lead with Purpose

Just like your email, the CTA button needs to have a clear purpose which tells your recipients not only WHAT to do, but WHY. A lack of clarity can lead to poor conversion as the reader will likely avoid the button if they don’t know where clicking it will lead them to. 

For example, lazy copy which directs the reader to ‘CLICK HERE’ provides little value and gives no insight as to where the reader is going or why. Instead, use actionable words and phrases to ensure that your CTA button motivates the reader to take action in response to the email content they have just read. 

2. Short is Sweet

The recommended length for a CTA button is between 2 and 4 words. Any shorter and it can come off as too abrupt. Any longer and the copy could get lost amongst the rest of the body copy. 

• Action Words vs Friction Words

Friction words imply people have to do something. They are more direct, but can be coercive and make readers feel like they’re sacrificing something: be it time, money or effort.

Action words highlight what people may want to do. Readers enjoy the feeling of choice which often makes action words more effective for CTA buttons. 

This doesn’t mean you should rule out friction words, however proceed with caution.

Examples of Friction Words:

• Buy
• Download
• Submit
• Get

Examples of Action Words:

• Find Out More
• Get Started
• Discover

3. How Many is Too Many

If the aim is to get your recipient to ‘CLICK’, you might be tempted to throw CTA buttons around like confetti. However, this isn’t always best practice. Too many CTAs can spoil reader experience and slow down conversion rates.

So what is the perfect number of CTA buttons to add to your email? There is no magical number, although it is generally agreed on that if you’re adding more than three, you should make sure you have a really good reason for each of them. 

Here are some elements to take into account before you decide:

• Length of the email: 

If your email is short and sharp, it makes sense to include a single CTA. This holds the reader’s attention to the singular action you want them to take and it’s unlikely to get lost below the fold.

For longer emails, it makes sense to lead with a CTA button, then break the copy up with another in case the reader doesn’t make it all the way to the end.

• Aim of the email:

Sometimes a single CTA has the opposite effect and can be counter productive. If the aim of your email is to get the reader to sign up for early access to a sale, a single “SIGN UP NOW” CTA can be off-putting for some of your readers. Perhaps they don’t want to sign up immediately – perhaps they want to first “FIND OUT MORE.”

• Location, Location, Location

While a lot of thought needs to go into WHAT you say on your CTA buttons, WHERE you place them is just as important. 

• Lead with a CTA

In a world of bite-sized attention spans, you can’t expect your readers to search for what they need to do next. Since your intro banner copy is generally a summary of the email offer, the addition of a CTA button on the banner will help to draw an instant response. 

• Individual Product Blocks

If you’ve included individual product blocks in the body of your email copy, it can be useful to the reader if each of these products has its own CTA button. 

• Finish with a CTA

Always round off the email with a CTA button. This leaves the reader with no doubt  about what action they should take once they have reached the end of the email.

Click to Convert

Take a bit of extra time on your CTA buttons and you’ll see the difference in your click-through and conversion rates. However, CTA buttons that convert are just one part of the email strategy and customized marketing plan our specialists can create for you. Get in touch today.