Call to Action Examples and Best Practices

You’ve got a great website, brand, and offering, but are you getting the results you want? Is your audience signing up for your newsletter, booking appointments, or buying your products? 

A simple tweak to your call to action (CTA) could make a world of difference. For someone navigating an email, website, or social media post, CTAs are points of interest—usually buttons or standout text—to continue their journey. 

Here’s what makes an effective call to action, how to write yours, and a complete list of 37 examples to spark your imagination. 

What is a call to action?

As the name suggests, a call to action is a way to signal to a user to take some sort of action on a page, such as:

• Sign up for a newsletter

• Buy a product

• Read a blog post

• Get a quote

• Start a free trial

• Book a session

• Take a survey

• Sign up for something

• Book a consultation

• Get in touch

• Start using a product

In other words, what do you hope they’ll do next from that page, email, or post?

A call to action actively encourages users to engage with your brand or content. It guides them to take the next step, whether that’s learning more about you or becoming a customer.

Without a clear call to action, users might feel confused or unsure how to proceed. That causes people to navigate away, and can be a missed opportunity for building a connection or converting a potential supporter.

How to write a call to action

These simple steps will help you write a great call to action, every time.

1. Define your goal. For example, “I want to sell more planners.”

2. Write down what you want your users to do when they land on your page. “I want users to buy the planners we sell.”

3. Create a simple statement telling your user what to do. “Explore our planners and pick the one you think might work for you. Shop Now.”

4. Check that this statement aligns with your goal in Step 1 and the desired action in Step 2.

5. Revise your statement to make it short, clear, direct, and appealing. “Explore our planners. Shop Now.”

A powerful CTA can transform your website into a tool for achieving your business or audience-building goals. With a little practice, you can master the art of writing CTAs that get results.

Here are a few examples of how this applies to different website goals.

• Online store: If they’re exploring your products, nudge them to purchase.

• Portfolio: If they’re impressed with your portfolio, invite them to fill out an interest form.

• Restaurant: If they’re exploring your menu, entice them to make a reservation.

• Therapist/Coach: If they’re considering your online session, invite them to book now.

• Nonprofit: If they’re moved by your mission, invite them to donate or volunteer.

• Local business: If they’re browsing your services, suggest scheduling a consultation.

No matter your business, a strong call to action benefits both you and your customer. The CTA solves their problem, and you gain their business.

Need help writing your calls to action? Try using Squarespace AI to draft a few ideas.

Understand primary and secondary calls to action

Your website should have a clear primary goal. But what if a visitor isn't ready to commit yet? That's where secondary calls to action come in. These are smaller steps that lead toward your primary goal.

For instance, if your primary call to action is "Book a Consultation," secondary CTAs could be:

• Watch Video (leads to overview or demo video)

• Learn More (leads to description of services)

• Contact Us (leads to contact form)

37 call to action examples

Writing an effective call to action isn’t complicated, but it does take some thought. The best approach is to be direct, clear, and concise about what you want users to do. 

And yes, a well-structured call to action can go beyond just a button. You can combine a headline, body text, and a button as your call to action. A strong headline grabs the attention of the user, while the description emphasizes the benefits they’ll gain by taking action. Finally, the button is a clear, immediate action to proceed, guiding them toward their desired goal.

37 CTA ideas

1. Book your free consultation

2. Contact us

3. Get instant access

4. Shop now

5. Buy now

6. Book online

7. Let’s get to work

8. Work with me

9. Learn more

10. Vote now

11. Chat with us

12. View our gallery

13. Book reservation

14. Watch video

15. Reserve your spot

16. Browse listings

17. Join waitlist

18. Share your story

19. Watch demo

20. Install app

21. Get a quote

22. See if you qualify

23. Start today

24. Download now

25. Schedule an appointment

26. Get weekly inspiration

27. Join our newsletter

28. Order today 

29. Sign up & save

30. Donate today

31. Register now

32. Find us

33. Sign up

34. Take quiz

35. Discover more

36. Become a member

37. Enroll now

Best practices for CTAs

There are a few things to keep in mind to get the best results from your calls to action.

• Build trust. Always deliver on the promises you make in your CTAs. Bait-and-switch tactics erode trust and put people off of clicking in the future.

• Support your goal with every page and section. Subtly guide users toward your primary CTA, even in unexpected places like your "About" section. Think of it like creating a breadcrumb trail with each section.

• Use action verbs. Replace passive language with strong verbs like "Shop," "Vote," "Explore," "Contact," or "Schedule."

• Include power words. Use words that evoke emotion: "Exclusive," "Instant," "Free," "New," "Save," and "Enjoy."

• Simplicity wins. Avoid CTAs that are overly wordy and complex. Short, direct CTAs are the most effective.  Don't make users work to figure out what you want them to do.

• Create urgency. Limited-time offers or phrases like "Act Now" can encourage immediate action.

• Focus on value. Every CTA should provide something valuable—a solution, information, or an exclusive offer. 

• Make it irresistible. Does your CTA evoke your visitor’s curiosity? Are they dying to see your latest line or learn the newest trends? Whatever the case, make your call to action irresistible.

Remember to add CTAs anywhere you interact with your audience. Include your call to action on your website, social accounts, and email marketing.

CTA design tips

A strong call to action isn't just about the words, how you use it matters. Follow these key principles to maximize your CTAs' impact.

• Be consistent across your site. Use the same primary CTA (and similar button design) throughout your website.  Alternative phrasing for the same action is okay, but keep the next step consistent.

• Clarity is key. Keep your language concise and easy to grasp. Confusing CTAs lead to inaction. 

• Design for impact. Use visually distinct buttons, banners, and occasional pop-ups to draw attention to your CTAs without overwhelming users.

• Placement matters. Position your primary CTA near the top of the page and make it easy to find throughout your site.

• Think mobile-first. More people browse websites on mobile devices than desktops. Make sure your CTAs are large enough to easily tap and that your site functions flawlessly on smaller screens.

By following these guidelines, you'll craft CTAs that effectively guide users towards the actions that help both you and your customers succeed. 

Test and optimize with Squarespace Analytics

Analytics can be a goldmine of information for optimizing your CTAs. Just like email analytics can help you learn whether your subject lines are convincing subscribers to open, CTA metrics give you opportunities to improve. Here are some specific ways to use Squarespace Analytics data to make your CTAs more effective.

• Track CTA clickthrough rates. See how many users actually click on your CTAs. This is a key metric for gauging their effectiveness. Low clickthrough rates might indicate the need to refine your CTA wording, placement, or design.

• Analyze traffic sources. See where your users are coming from—organic search, social media, or paid advertising. This helps you tailor your CTAs to the specific audience you're attracting. For example, if your data shows that most of your users find you through organic searches, go through your site pages to add more CTAs that use your preferred target keywords.

• Measure engagement. Track how long users stay on the page after clicking a CTA. This can indicate if your post-click content is engaging and supports the action you want users to take.

Getting users to take action is the key to turning your website into a success.  

No two businesses are alike, so don't be afraid to get creative. Experiment with different CTA wording, placements, and designs. Then, track the results to discover which CTAs resonate best with your audience.  

With a little effort and analysis, you'll master the art of calls to action and transform your website into a powerful tool for growth.

Ready to try CTAs for your audience?