What is a Call to Action Website in Navigation?

5 min to read

Calls-to-action (CTAs) are action-specific elements, normally in the form of buttons. You may also see these appear at the bottom of a blog post with a hyperlink; it depends on the company’s branding and style.

The aim of a CTA is to encourage users to take whichever action they desire (e.g. signing up for a product’s free trial).Besides buttons and links, you may see visual content used as a CTA; some ads will use animations, for example.

CTA placing may vary, but you’ll often find them in a header or footer. They may also appear in a website’s navigation section.

When writing your CTA, it should tell the user precisely what you want them to do. Moreover, you must put them in a place where people will see them; building prior trust is essential.

Pro Tip:
Use simple language in your CTAs, and keep them short. CTAs should also have one specific goal.
Key Takeaways:
  • Calls-to-action, also known as CTAs, appear in blog posts, emails, on pages, and in other places
  • You must use CTAs across multiple touchpoints where your users are likely to navigate
  • Integrate analytics tools and understand how your CTAs will interact on different devices
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What are the different types of CTAs in navigation?

You’ll often see primary, secondary, and tertiary CTAs; each of them serves a different goal, and you need to understand all three. Their priority goes in order from top to bottom, but it’s a good idea to treat all of them seriously. 

  • Primary CTAs: The most prominent; they include actions like “Buy Now”, “Checkout”, and “Schedule a Demo”. 

  • Secondary CTAs: The second most important; you’ll see terms like “View Cart” here. 

  • Tertiary CTAs: Less important than the other two, but still essential. “About Us” and “Disclosure” are two examples. 
Deep Dive: 
Consider using some alternatives to CTAs; you can use these in addition to them or as a standalone. Being more direct with your copy, especially on product pages, might serve as one option. However, you should A/B test to see what does and doesn’t work. 

How can CTAs in navigation be optimized for different devices and screen sizes?

Responsiveness is imperative when designing and publishing your CTAs. Test how they look on desktop and mobile to ensure that they adapt to the screens on which they’re being viewed from. 

You also need to consider specific sizing dimensions. This, like your messaging, will probably require experimentation. 

Pro Tip:
• A call to action (CTA) should be positioned on the screen where users are likely to touch it.

• A/B test to see which designs you should use on your pages. 

What are some examples of successful CTAs in navigation?

You’ll find CTAs on almost every website. Some examples are: 

  • Spotify: “Explore Premium” 

  • Hocoos: “Get your AI website” 

  • Duolingo: “Start Mini Review” 

  • Google Maps: “Search here” 

Each of these serves a different goal, and you may see different ones depending on your previous activity with the app. 

Pro Tip:
Understand what your target audience is trying to achieve when they visit your site/app.

How can analytics be used to measure the effectiveness of CTAs in navigation?

Analytics software is important for measuring CTA results, and you should have these set up in advance. It’s also essential that you track different metrics and use this information to determine your next steps. 

Here are some analytics that you should track when testing your CTAs: 

  • Clickthrough rates: Also known as CTR, this is the number of users that click on your CTAs; it’s measured against your overall page views. If you have a low clickthrough rate, you can try different messages and reposition your buttons. 

  • Conversion rates: Whereas the CTR measures how many people click through, the conversion rate is the number of people who complete an action. This is measured against the people who initially clicked through, and what’s deemed to be a “conversion” will depend on the goals you’ve set for yourself. 

  • Time on page: This is how long people spend on your pages. It works in the same way as it would if you were to manage the time on page for your blog posts and other pages. 

  • Bounce rate: refers to the percentage of individuals who visit a web page and depart without engaging with other content. Investigating causes and implementing adjustments may be beneficial if a page exhibits a high bounce rate. For example, you may choose to adjust your copy.

  • Heatmaps: Use heatmaps to determine where users are interacting on your page. You can then move your CTAs in the hotter areas. 

  • A/B testing: Try different messages and icons for your CTA. You might also want to consider changing the color, though you will need to stay consistent with your branding. Think about where you want to place your CTAs on your page as well. 

Use analytics software that integrates with your website builder if possible. Doing so is important if you want to measure everything in one place. You should also measure your results over extended periods of time and continuously iterate. 

Conclusion

CTAs are a cornerstone of many websites and apps, and you should make sure that you have the right strategy in place to maximize these. Understand how to measure their success, and consider aspects that might influence this – such as where you place them on a page. 

It’s also important that you define the action you want users to take. Be very specific, and use succinct copy. Experiment with different colors, icons, etc., and iterate on a regular basis. Make sure that you also know the difference between primary, secondary, and tertiary CTAs.

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