Pushing their buttons – how to get website visitors to take action

Scores of studies over the past few years have shown that the size, shape/design and wording of call-to-action buttons on a website have a significant effect on whether or not people click them.

Need your website visitors to Buy Now, Request a Free Quote, Subscribe or take any other action?

Read on!

Words Matter

Studies have shown that the wording you use on your call-to-action buttons is critical.

• Keep it short! Aim for only 2-3 words if you can
• Use an imperative verb (a command verb) - you are effectively giving the user a order!
• Try to include an implied benefit if you can. Examples might be Start a Free Trial Now! or Buy & Save Now!
• Don’t try to be too clever – there should never be any doubt of what will happen if they click the button
• If you want someone to download something, show the file size. This is proven to increase response rates because people are more comfortable that they know what to expect.

Buy Now vs. Add To Cart

So, you run an e-commerce website. Should you use Buy Now or Add to Cart?

Well firstly, we always recommend you try both – and test your response rates. Good website design should allow you to easily change out your buttons as and when you want.

But – and this is very interesting – many studies have actually shown that while Buy Now generates more conversions (more users clicking to make the purchase), Add To Cart actually increases the average value of orders – presumably because customers didn’t feel as much pressure to make a commitment then and there.

Bigger is Better (but not too big)

Calls-to-action need to be obvious. We need to make it very plain to a user what we want them to do next.

Notes on Style

• Don’t make your call to action a plain text link! It should be an actual button.
• Your button should be larger (or have more ‘visual hierarchy’) relative to other elements on the page. Make it big and bold.
• OK, I know we said make it big… but not too big! If your button ends up looking like a banner or an advertising tile, it will get missed. Website usability experts speak of ‘banner blindness’ –  today’s website visitors have ‘learnt’ to largely ignore banners.

 

The Shape of Success

• People today tend to expect buttons to be somewhat rectangle in shape. (So don’t use a circle or triangle, it can be confused for a graphic element and ignored).
• Mix it up a bit for greater success – use a rounded rectangles, or take a leaf from Amazon.com’s book – they have a mash-up of a rectangle and a circle.
• Add an icon to the button, or a symbol – a forward arrow or arrow indicating download, a plus sign, a lock to indicate a secure area, etc.
• Avoid flat buttons – ask your website designer to create buttons that look more like real-world clickable buttons. As we move to a world of touch-screen technology like iPhone and iPad, this becomes even more relevant.

Important Final Pointers

Something should always ‘happen’ after clicking a button, so that people know their click has been logged and they won’t click the button again, or get frustrated and leave your website!

For example, when someone clicks Add to Cart on an e-commerce website, you don’t want to take them to the Check- out right then (not when they could continue buying items!), but you should definitely show them that the product has in fact been added to their cart, so they can continue shopping with ease and confidence.

 

If you want an e-commerce website that really does the business, talk to Totali - we know our stuff!

Posted on the 3rd of February, 2012, Written by Arron Edwards. Subscribe to our RSS Feed or our newsletter.

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