Over the last decade, print has grown more and more interactive. As a result, marketing has increased in tandem with this change. By looking at the latest batch of calls-to-action (CTAs) you can watch this interplay happen right before your eyes.

Lost already? That’s OK. This article will take you behind-the-scenes and explain CTAs across the whole spectrum– from optimization to conversion.

Making a Critical Connection

Think of CTAs as the missing link that connects incoming web traffic and the opportunity to find new leads.

For example, if you want a visitor to become a sales lead, you have to give them the incentive to convert to a lead through an interactive, but not overtly sales-driven, prompt. That’s what CTAs are for. Optimizing your efforts to maximize leads has to start from the bottom up, which is why our focus is on CTA improvement. CTA is the key driver of lead generation; foster it and you’ve created a reserve of stellar leads.

3 Lead-Giving CTA Strategies:

Leaving a trail of digital bread crumbs for your visitors to follow doesn’t have to be disruptive or complex. We've compiled three simple strategies to give you an idea of how easy and effective a CTA remodel can be.

Strategy 1: Color me. Contrasting color is one of the most powerful tools in your marketing arsenal, digital or otherwise. A basic understanding of color can attract the eye and then lead it to where you want it to go. As soon as you understand a few basic rules of design and text, you’ll gain a huge advantage in the leads department.

• Rule one: Don't put all your eggs in the “red is best” basket. It’s not always true. Pick a contrasting color, but make sure it works with your existing design and color scheme (no patterns); otherwise, all you’ve created is an eye sore.
• Rule two: place your CTAs on the left-hand side of the page. Viewers will read from left to right and top to bottom.
• Rule three: Busy backgrounds require brightly-colored or highly-contrasted CTAs so that they don’t get lost in the mix.

Strategy 2: Entice me. When users are on the fence, they need a little incentive to click through and embrace their lead-status. Give it to them. Offer a bonus, a discount, exclusive access; compel them to take the next step.

Strategy 3: Dazzle me. It’s time for some shameless self-promotion. Showcase your service or product for the user. List successes and favorable reviews. Capture your product well enough for it to become almost tangible to the viewer.

This is just an example of what a few well-constructed, well-placed CTAs can do. Use these swatches as your starting point and pay attention to which ones elicit the greatest responses.  Build your own CTA strategy based on the pattern that emerges.