Are you in the business of ecommerce? Then, you must surely be knowing what a Call-to-action (CTA) is. After all, it is the most important link in converting visitors into customers. In this article we take a look at what it is why Call-to-action is important and also some insights into its optimization.

What is a Call-to-Action?

You want your users to take a particular action. A CTA is a direct instruction to your users asking them to do that. Every ecommerce retailer wants the visitor to make a purchase. Now, you use call-to-action to specify to the customer how to find the items they want, sort them by name or price, add products to the catalog, enter delivery address/contact details, and finally make the payment.

CTAs come in many forms. It could be a simple advert on top of your page asking the user to fill in a contact form and get updates to his inbox. A simple ‘click to know more’ is also an effective call-to-action. ‘Contact us at xxxx’ too is a CTA.

The Significance of CTAs

Now, not all customers know how to make a purchase on a site. Many of them might be first time visitors or may even be confused about how to go about the entire process. No potential customer should be allowed to waste time trying to find his or her way through your site.

This is where the ‘Next step’ CTA plays a vital role. It tells a user what he or she needs to next at every stage. It is just like a supermarket where each aisle is marked by a signpost. But what you need to keep in mind is that in ecommerce, a call-to-action button must also include the functionality that completes the next process. For example, if a customer is on the verge of completing the checkout process, then your CTA should have the functionality that not only asks the user to checkout but also completes the process on click.

Ecommerce CTAs

Typical ecommerce call-to-action are ‘Buy now’, ‘Add to catalog’ and ‘Checkout’. It is these CTAs that allow customers to reach the next step in the buying process. But though these CTAs are most common in ecommerce, these aren’t the only ones. CTAs vary from site to site according to the sector that the retailer operates in. For example, CTAs in the fashion retailer segment will differ from CTAs in the electronics segment.

What makes a good CTA

The basics of a good CTA are that it should

• Be highly visible and attractive

• Communicate the message clearly to the user

• Have a layout, color and positioning that is instantly noticeable

• Be relevant to the content on the page

The first three are especially important if your CTAs are to be effective. Also, your CTA buttons need to be positioned in the right place. A superbly well-designed call-to-action button placed in the wrong page will not bring in any customers.

If you’ve got these basics right, and integrated them seamlessly with the store functionality, then you’re well on your way to ecommerce success!