Writing effective calls to action
How to write the button text, links, and prompts that turn website visitors into enquiries, bookings, or sales.
A call to action (CTA) is any button, link, or prompt that tells a visitor what to do next. "Book a call." "Get a quote." "Download the guide." It sounds simple — but the words you choose make a significant difference to how many people actually click.
Quick summary
The best calls to action are specific, use action words, focus on what the visitor gets, and create one clear next step. Avoid vague phrases like "Click here" or "Learn more." Tell people exactly what will happen when they click.
What makes a call to action work
A good CTA does three things:
- Tells the reader what to do — using a verb
- Tells them what they'll get — the outcome or benefit
- Removes hesitation — with reassuring language where needed
The anatomy of a strong CTA
Compare these two:
- Weak: "Submit"
- Strong: "Book your free 30-minute consultation"
The second version uses an action verb ("book"), tells you what you get ("your free consultation"), and tells you what to expect ("30 minutes"). It's more specific and more reassuring.
Action words to use
Start your CTA with a strong verb:
- Book
- Get
- Download
- Start
- Try
- See
- Request
- Send
- Claim
- Apply
Avoid passive or vague words: "Click here," "Find out more," "Learn more," "Submit." These tell the reader what they're doing (clicking), not what they're getting.
Focus on what the visitor gets
The easiest way to improve any CTA: replace "what I want you to do" with "what you will get."
| Before (action-focused) | After (benefit-focused) |
|---|---|
| Contact us | Get a free quote |
| Sign up | Start your free trial |
| Read more | See the full case study |
| Download | Get your free checklist |
| Register | Save your spot |
One call to action per goal
Each page should have one primary CTA — the single most important action you want a visitor to take. You can repeat it multiple times on the page (once at the top, once at the bottom, sometimes in the middle), but it should be the same action.
Multiple different competing CTAs create confusion and reduce conversions.
Avoid option paralysis
If you give visitors three equally prominent buttons — "Book a call," "Download our brochure," "See our portfolio" — many of them will do none of them. One clear primary action, with secondary actions in smaller text or links, works better.
Reducing hesitation
Sometimes a single line below your CTA removes the barrier to clicking:
- "No credit card required."
- "Free — no obligation."
- "Cancels anytime."
- "We reply within one business day."
These micro-reassurances work. Use them where there's a natural concern (especially for bookings, sign-ups, or purchases).
CTAs in links and body copy
Not every CTA is a button. In-text links should also be specific:
- Vague: "Click here to learn more about our services."
- Clear: "See how our brand strategy service works."
Never use "click here" as link text. Screen readers announce links by their text — "click here" is meaningless out of context. This is also an accessibility requirement. See alt text explained for more on writing for screen readers.
Common questions
Related guides
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