The perfect call to action should enhance the website’s marketing message, tell people exactly what they’ll get, and prompt them to take the desired action.

After spending a tremendous amount of time researching audiences, designing a user interface, and planning a content strategy, so many marketers and website developers slap in the call-to-action button at the last minute, almost as an afterthought.

Yet, Michael Aagaard of Unbounce referred to the call to action, or CTA, as the vital tipping point between a website bounce and a conversion. During a time when conversion rate optimization can make the difference between profits and losses, it’s important to make certain that the CTA tips in the company’s favor.

10 great CTA button alternatives to “Learn More”

Move beyond the old standbys like “Learn More,” “Continue Reading,” or even worse, “Click Here” to propel website visitors to the next stage of the buyer’s journey. The biggest problem with these kinds of CTAs is that they’re overdone, vague, and not very engaging. Look at some better alternatives for CTA button texts.

1. “Sign Up”

It’s annoying to click a “Learn More” button only to get presented with a signup form. If marketers want to encourage people to enroll, they should transparently urge their website visitors to do just that. Even better, make sure to emphasize what benefits the visitor will enjoywhen they do enroll.

2. “Try It for Free”

“Free” always makes the list of motivating marketing terms. Prospects might not feel ready to buy something. It’s much less risky to try something for free. “Try it for Free” makes a good introduction for a free trial or demo or of course, a completely free service. It’s fine to replace “it” with the actual name of whatever the visitor is signing up for.

3. “Subscribe”

Like the previous suggestion, subscriptions don’t make visitors commit to a purchase. At the same time, an email subscription provides businesses a chance to nurture leads with more content. If space permits, make it clear what the subscription offers.

4. “Get Started Now”

After promoting a product or service as fast and simple, a phrase like “Get Started Now” provides the right mix of encouragement and urgency.

5. “Give Us a Try”

Instead of using “us,” the button might use the brand name. Either way, this phrase works well after promoting the sort of good experience that the business provides. By asking visitors to just try, it won’t sound like asking for too much of a commmitment.

6. “See Our Work”

Sometimes, the CTA really does need to encourage the viewer to learn more by viewing a gallery of pictures, a list of case studies, or demo videos. If that’s true, a phrase like “See Our Work” provides a more accurate description. Otherwise, it’s fine to make the text more specific by describing exactly what the viewer will see.

7. “Join”

It’s possible to get a little more more precise or even clever with a “Join” button. As an example, Panthera promotes the conservation of big cats, and they label their subscription form with “Join the Pride.” As an alternative, “Join Us” offers instant relationship building.

8. “Send Me Deals Now”

If the page promotes a subscription that includes notifications about deals or specials, cement the message with a CTA button that reinforce its value. Obviously, if the page offers price quotes, the button could say “Send My Free Quote Now.” If the CTA promotes something of value, let people know about it.

9. “Save Now”

As an alternative to a “Buy” button, why not use the CTA to promote the reason that the website visitor would want to buy? If the promotion doesn’t include a discount, use the CTA to empahsize quality, uniqueness, or whatever special qualities customers will find most important.

10. The personalized CTA

Amazon, Netflix, and many other popular websites perform so well because they personalize a lot of their content. Similarly, HubSpot found that personalized CTA buttons perform over 200 percent better than static ones. They tested against single CTAs and different CTA buttons for more than one offer.

For their example:

• For visitors who had not interacted with the site before, they offered memberships to HubSpot Academy.  This provides online classes where people can learn about marketing.
  
• For visitors who had already taken the courses, they offered access to a marketing tool.

This takes a bit more coding. Still, the investment in CRO marketing may prove worth the investment. As an example, if somebody’s already logged into a website, it hardly makes sense to offer them a chance to “Join for Free.” In that case, it’s time to coax them into making a purchase.

How to craft the perfect CTA button text

Emphasize the benefits while letting people know exactly what they’ll get by taking action. This tactic will prompt action and never risk disappointing website viewers. In order to tune results, conduct some testing to see which ideas perform the best.