A call to action is an element that prompts the visitor to take the next step – a button, a link, or a form. Its effectiveness is decided mainly by the text: neutral words like submit or continue say nothing about what the person will get, whereas naming the outcome works better. It also helps to reduce perceived risk with a short note about what will follow, whether the step is binding, and when the company will get back to them. Placement should match the moment when the visitor has enough information to decide, and on longer pages the call to action is repeated. It is essential to limit the number of competing actions on the screen – the more options there are, the less likely the visitor is to pick any one of them.
See also: Visual hierarchy, Microcopy, Form optimisation.
