A call to action is the line on a button or link that asks a visitor to do something. This guide covers what to write, where to put it, how many to use and how to find out which wording works.
A call to action is the instruction that tells a visitor what to do next, usually on a button or link. A good one starts with a verb, says what happens after the click, stands out from the page and sits where the visitor has just read enough to decide. Keep one main action per page and test wording by changing one thing at a time.
What a call to action is
A call to action is a short instruction that asks a visitor to take the next step, such as "Book a site visit", "Add to basket" or "Send my enquiry". It usually appears as a button or a text link. A tappable phone number, a form or the last line of an email can do the same job. Every call to action has two parts: the words, and the place it leads. If either is weak, the click does not happen or the visitor arrives somewhere they did not expect.
The wording is only half of the work. A call to action fails when the page before it has not given the visitor a reason to act, or when the page after it does not deliver what the button promised. Treat the button as the last line of a short argument and check the argument first.
Most pages need one main call to action and sometimes a quieter one for visitors who are not ready. The main action is the thing the page exists to get: an enquiry, an order, a booking or a sign-up. A quieter action is a smaller step, such as reading a guide or checking delivery details.
What makes a good call to action
A good call to action is specific, honest and easy to find. Five habits cover most of it.
- Start with a verb that names the action, such as book, order, send, download, compare or call.
- Say what the visitor gets or what happens next. "Get the size guide" tells more than "Download".
- Use the words a customer would use, not the words your team uses among itself.
- Match the stage the visitor has reached. Someone reading a first guide is rarely ready to buy, so offer a smaller step.
- Promise only what the next page delivers. A button that says "free quote" must lead to a free quote.
The table shows weak labels next to stronger ones. The examples are generic; use the words of your own customers.
| Situation | Weak label | Stronger label | Why it works |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enquiry form | Submit | Send my enquiry | It says what happens and who is acting |
| Visit or appointment | Click here | Book a site visit | It names the action and what it is for |
| Online store | Buy now (when the button only adds to the basket) | Add to basket | The label matches what the button does |
| Guide or help page | Learn more | Read the sizing guide | It names the page the visitor will reach |
| Newsletter | Subscribe | Send me the monthly update | It describes what arrives in the inbox |
Two words deserve care. "Free" is a promise that must be true on the next page, and some countries have rules on how free offers and urgency may be described, so check yours. "Now" adds pressure without adding information, so use it only where the action really is immediate.
Where to place a call to action on a page
Place the main call to action where the visitor first has enough information to decide, and repeat it wherever they might decide later. On a short page that means near the top and again at the end. On a long page, repeat it after each block of explanation or proof.
- Near the top, visible on a phone without scrolling, for visitors who already know what they want. People sent by an advert or a message often fit this group.
- After the explanation, once the page has said what you offer and shown some proof, so that the request follows the argument.
- After an answer, such as the end of an FAQ or a note on how pricing works, because the visitor has just had a doubt settled.
- At the end of the page, so that a reader who reaches the bottom does not have to scroll back to find a button.
- In the header or a fixed bar on long pages. A fixed bar can cover content or the keyboard on a phone, so test it on a real handset.
Use the same wording for the same action everywhere on the page. The visitor then sees one offer repeated, not several different ones. Leave space around the button and keep it away from clutter. Pop-ups and banners that cover the page on a phone can be closed unread, so if you use one, make it easy to dismiss.
How many calls to action a page should have
Give each page one main action, repeated as often as its length needs, and at most one quieter option. A page that asks the visitor to buy, subscribe, follow on social media and read a blog post all at once gives them four reasons to do nothing.
The main action should look different from the rest, for example a solid button, while the quieter option takes the form of a text link or an outlined button. If two actions carry the same weight, visitors have to choose between them before they can act. The guide to landing pages and websites explains why a page built for one action usually has the fewest competing links.
| Page | Main action | Quieter option |
|---|---|---|
| Homepage | The route most visitors need, such as seeing the services or the products | Contact details |
| Service page | Send an enquiry or book | Read a related guide |
| Product page | Add to basket | Ask a question about the product |
| Guide or blog post | The next step related to the topic, such as a relevant service page | Join the mailing list |
| Landing page | The single action the page was built for | A link to the main site for visitors who want to check the business |
Design and build details that affect clicks
Good wording on a button nobody sees does nothing. These details decide whether the call to action is noticed, understood and usable.
- Visibility: the button needs enough contrast against the page, and the text needs enough contrast against the button. Check them with a contrast checker against the WCAG guidelines, and do not rely on colour alone to mark an action.
- Size and spacing on a phone: the control must be easy to tap with a thumb without hitting its neighbour. WCAG 2.2 has a success criterion on minimum target size, and your developer can check the current wording.
- Real text: build the label as text, not as part of an image, so that it can be read aloud, resized and translated.
- Descriptive link wording: Google's documentation on links asks for descriptive link text, and WCAG has a success criterion on link purpose. "Click here" and "Read more" tell search engines and screen reader users nothing about the destination.
- It must work: test the button and the form behind it on a phone, check the link goes to the right page, and make sure a thank-you message or page appears afterwards so that you can count the result.
- A short form: ask only for what you need to reply. Every extra field gives the visitor another reason to stop.
The website accessibility checklist covers contrast, keyboard use and link wording in more detail.
Calls to action in emails, adverts and social posts
The same rules apply where you do not control the page, with a few changes.
- Email: one main button, repeated once near the end of a long message. Build it as live text so it still shows when images are blocked, and point it to the specific page that matches the subject line, not to the homepage. The guide to getting started with email marketing covers the rest of the setup.
- Adverts: the label is often chosen from a list the platform offers, so the page after the click must repeat the promise in the advert. A mismatch between the two is one of the quickest ways to waste paid clicks.
- Social posts: put the action in the first lines of the caption, and place the link where the platform makes it clickable, such as the profile link or a button, since links in captions are not always live.
Common call to action mistakes
- Vague labels such as "Submit", "Click here" or "Learn more" that say nothing about what follows.
- Several equal-looking buttons competing in the same view.
- Asking for a big step too early, such as a purchase on the first visit to a page about a complex service.
- False urgency, such as a countdown that resets or "only a few left" when stock is not low. It misleads visitors, and misleading pressure can break consumer protection rules in some countries.
- Changing several things at once, then not knowing which change made the difference.
How to test which call to action wording works
You can only compare wording if you can count both the clicks on the call to action and the result that follows, such as completed forms or orders. In Google Analytics, a button click or a form submission can be recorded as an event and marked as a key event. The setup depends on your website, so check the current documentation or ask your developer. The guide to Google Analytics for beginners explains key events.
Then follow a simple routine.
- Pick one page that gets steady visits and where the action matters.
- Record the current wording, the date and the numbers: visits to the page, clicks on the call to action and completed actions.
- Change one thing only: the wording, the position or the button style, not all three at once.
- Leave the change running for full weeks, so that weekdays and weekends both count, and for long enough to see a clear difference. Do not stop the moment one version looks ahead.
- Compare the same numbers with the period before, and note anything else that changed, such as an advert, a festival or a price.
- Keep the better version, write down the result and test the next idea.
A small site may never receive enough visits to run a formal split test, where two versions are shown at the same time to different visitors. With few visits, a difference can be chance. In that case a before-and-after comparison with notes is a reasonable hint, not proof. You can also ask a few customers or colleagues to find and press the button on a phone, and tell you what they expected to happen next.
If you run a split test with separate addresses, Google's guidance on A/B testing and search asks you not to show Googlebot different pages from the ones visitors see, since that counts as cloaking. It also asks for a rel="canonical" link on the alternative addresses, temporary redirects where a redirect is used, and removal of the test once it ends. The conversion rate optimisation guide goes further into test design and how long to run one.
A short checklist for one page
Open one important page on your phone and answer these.
- Can a first-time visitor see the main action without hunting?
- Does the label start with a verb and say what happens next?
- Does the page after the click deliver exactly what the label promised?
- Is there one main action, with anything else clearly quieter?
- Can it be read, tapped and understood by a screen reader?
- Do you count both the clicks and the results that follow?
If you want help with the pages, tracking and campaigns that sit behind your calls to action, the digital marketing service page describes the work Liftup does in this area.
Questions and answers
What is a call to action?
A call to action, often shortened to CTA, is a button, link or line of text that asks a visitor to take a specific next step, such as booking, buying or signing up. It works when the wording names the action and the next page delivers what the label promised.
What makes a good call to action?
A good call to action starts with a verb, says what happens next, uses the customer's own words and fits the stage the visitor has reached. It is easy to see and tap on a phone, and it leads to exactly what it promised.
Where should I place a call to action on a page?
Put one near the top for visitors who already know what they want, another after the explanation or proof once the page has made its case, and a last one at the end for readers who reach the bottom. Use the same wording for the same action each time.
How many calls to action should a page have?
Give each page one main action and, at most, one quieter option. Several buttons of equal weight force visitors to choose before they can act, and many will choose to do nothing.
How do I test which call to action wording works?
Count clicks and completed actions first. Then change one thing, run it for full weeks, compare with the period before and note any other changes. A small site with few visits should treat the result as a hint, not proof.
Is click here a good call to action?
No. It does not say what will happen, and it gives search engines and screen reader users nothing to go on. Google's documentation asks for descriptive link text, and WCAG has a criterion on link purpose. A label such as Book a site visit says far more.