Being a marketer or an eCommerce business owner, it is well understood that a Comprehensive Call to Action is the key to unlocking your customers and achieving the desired marketing success. With many options and approaches at marketers’ disposal, devising an attention-stopping and effective CTA can be a real feat.

If you’re ready to supercharge your marketing campaigns, this call-to-action guide is for you: I’ll highlight 20+ call-to-action examples and how to use them. While at it, I will also seize the opportunity to explain CTA and how one makes this perfect call to action from scratch.

What Is a Call to Action?

Calling to action, or CTA, is a marketing term that refers to a given statement that leads to a person being directed to take a specific action.

A CTA in the context of digital and especially e-commerce marketing is a message or a button (sometimes – a link) that calls for a specific action from the user- it may be urging the customer to buy a particular product, subscribe to a magazine, or sign up for a specific service, for example.

CTAs can be inserted in marketing campaigns and channels like emails, landing pages, social media, and e-commerce stores.

They have to lead users to the intended action, which in turn helps organizations reach their marketing goals.

Some general rules to consider while designing CTAs therein state that such calls should be action-oriented as well as assertive, contain an element of time-sensitive pressure, remind the target user of the unique benefit that they stand to gain by making a required action, and should be highly visible to the target user.

However, such posts do not always mean that there is an equal call to action. Some are angry, unsteady, and argumentative.

Some are pathetic, dull, and thus ineffective regarding appearance and the impression they give people.

Soon, you will discover how to optimally design this call to action for your website and content. Before we get to the specimen, let’s look at five typical kinds of CTAs and the places where they should be employed.

5 Common Types of CTAs

Any time you sit down to write an article or any piece of content, what’s the end goal – you probably need to include a CTA. It applies to blog posts, articles, YouTube videos, tweets and Facebook statuses, podcast episodes, and content.

But here are five of the most common places you’ll see CTAs online:

• Web page buttons
• Optin campaign buttons
• Anchor texts in blog posts
• Hyperlinks or plain text in e-mails
• Messages written on social media platforms

We will briefly discuss each type now.

1. Web Page Buttons

This call-to-action placement is commonly used and is a relatively effective way of encouraging response. You could probably guess that these web links have been around for some time; if you have once been to a webpage, you have seen them. We’ve already seen one of these articles:

If properly optimized, a CTA page button should be among the largest on the page and conspicuously distinguishable.

From the picture above, you will observe that OptinAbles, the call to action button, has a green background and is accompanied by a click-inducing headline with a subheader.

This leads you to the resultant web copy where the Call-to-action reads Get OptinAble Now.

Moreover, the button is apparent because its size is relatively large, making it easy to click. This is particularly helpful to those using handheld devices to surf your page since they use fingers rather than a mouse pointer.

2. Optin Campaign Buttons

Copying will play a big part when you run an optin campaign, whether a popup, slide-in box, sticky bar, or other. This should be short, and the tagline should easily be seen while being provocative and convincing.

But most importantly, it needs to lead to a powerful call to action button:

The screenshot above was taken while building a popup created with OptinAble, which took less than 10 minutes.

The button was changed to have the offer statement instead of the call to action so it read Get My 35% Off Code.

This works because several Internet users browsing the website may not have the time to read all the words in an optin campaign. Instead, they will scroll to the areas that interest them most. Below, visitors will merely scroll to the points that interest them most.

Whenever their eyes spot the button, they are likely to click on it since they can quickly understand the advantage of doing so.

3. Anchor Texts in Blog Posts

You can usually spot the call to action by looking for a written message, to which a hyperlink will be integrated at some point in the text. You may have noticed these in OptinAble’s blog:

The image above, such as the blue-colored part, is a clickable hyperlink that navigates the user to the following tutorial. The advertisement, starting with the words ‘Check out our tutorial, ‘ forms the call to action.

While designing in-text CTAs, one can also enhance the user experience through the creative design of call-to-action buttons. It guides the reader to other content that can be of interest and provides other tutorials in case the readers are lost or follow you on different platforms.

However, the most vital CTA is when you make the users subscribe to the product or directly appeal to them to purchase it. These CTAs are usually placed somewhere early in the content and at the end of your post:

This way, you can find out what place in the blog your CTAs perform for your target audience.

4. Buttons or Simple Text in Emails

CTAs also find application in situations when email marketing has to be employed. We see these every day when we get emails asking us to:

• Read the full article
• Download a resource
• One of them is to try to take advantage of a discount and percentage of free products.
• See what more you can know about the email topic of the day.

Here’s an excellent example from our Customer Success Manager, Angie:

Further, see how the color of the call to action is the opposite of the page color, which is white. That makes the CTA attract your attention and makes it very difficult to glance over.

5. Social Media Text

Social media is an excellent platform for your content marketing campaign, especially when considering a suitable call to action.

The benefit of writing catchy slogans is that the call to action in your specific social media post should be crystal clear. That is why something else will always compete with your users for their attention on social media.

But you desire them to focus their attention on your offer or CTA.

Take this example from an OptinAble post on X(Twitter):

This way, readers can quickly grasp what ‘next’ step is needed to resolve whatever issue you’re assisting in solving.

That said, let us move to our list of the best call-to-action examples after understanding the different types of CTAs.

Call to Action Examples for Lead Generation

Lead generation, therefore, refers to identifying the customers who may be interested in the various products or services an organization offers and possess details such as their name, phone number, or mail address. 

1. The “Download our free guide” button: It could be a strong call to action for those sharing elaborate materials such as white papers and e-books. This CTA may attract audiences with particular concerns about your industry or range of products as it will provide helpful information in exchange for their contact details. 
2. “Register for our webinar” button: To some extent, using webinars for lead generation may be effective given that great value may be delivered through content. This specific CTA can effectively capture the leads ‘ details from the revenue per incremental user and lead acquisition perspective. 
3. “Sign up for our newsletter” button: Periodical publications can also be used if it is required to present the leads and customers with some new information and/or a special offer. The above CTA can also help generate a subscribers list since it has an entrance to the list. 
4. “Get a free quote” button: This CTA can be appropriate if the business provides some service, for example, insurance or remodeling services. This CTA can help get leads by asking for more contact details and providing the lead with a clear CTA that tells them they are being given a specific quote tailored to them. 
5. “Request a demo” button: This CTA is mostly employed for software and technology products since it allows customers to sneak peek at the product’s working interface before agreeing to purchase it. Using the word ‘request’ in this CTA could also help get permission to collect the leads’ contact details and provide them with more targeted attention.

Call to Action Examples for eCommerce Websites

This is especially true because most eCommerce websites use call-to-actions or banners to entice clients to purchase. Here are some CTA examples for eCommerce:

6. “Add to Cart” button: This is an outlet for traditional CTA for online shopping and undoubtedly works perfectly well. This interface is clean-cut and uncomplicated, and consumers can easily add products to the cart and then continue shopping or checking out.
7. “Buy Now” button: This CTA is less evident than “Add to Cart,” as it leads the user to the checkout page. This can, therefore, be good for products that cost less or have a limited-time sale offer.
8. “Shop Now” button: Unlike the previous examples of this CTA, this is more extensive, as it does not point the users directly to a particular page but invites them to click and discover. This may be useful when targeting clients with a broad array of offers or when the viewer is in the early stages of the buying cycle.
9. “Subscribe and Save” option: This CTA is commonly utilized for products that require a subscription, particularly food subscriptions like delivery of meals or pet foods. This CTA can be helpful when focusing on the potential of getting additional possible savings, an incentive that can appeal to users for a long-term subscription.
10. “Limited Time Offer” banner: This CTA can add a call to act fast, and it can be helpful if the site is selling a product with a limited-time offer or is on sale. It may also aid in raising consumer awareness of the worth of the product in question.

Call to Action Examples for Landing Pages

The purpose of the landing page is very clear, which is not to conform, but to have a conversion. I’ll provide examples of the call to action below to get what you want.

11. “Fill out this form” button: This CTA operates to engage the attention of your leads or website visitors and enhance the conversion rate. The ‘Ready to start?’ button is a call-to-action that encourages the visitors to complete a form that asks for their contact information and get a particular incentive in return, they may include free product samples, price quotations, free consultations, and free demonstrations.
12. “Start your free trial” button: This CTA is perfect for most software companies or any business involving subscription services. The “Start your free trial” button persuades the guests to register for a certain free limited time for your product or service and get to know the availability and quality of the service.
13. The “Get your free quote” button: It’s like the “Get a free quote” button but is more geared toward landing pages. The “Get your free quote” button allows the website’s guests to complete a simple questionnaire and to receive a unique quotation or estimated price for services required.
14. “Book a demo” button: This CTA is roughly close to “Request a demo,” but it focuses more on how clients can improve their landing pages and boost their conversion rate. The “Book a demo” button persuades visitors to set up a live or recorded demonstration and understand how your product and/or service will address their concerns.
15. “Schedule a consultation” button: The VanCube CTA is suitable for businesses in the B2B niche or industries such as consultancy. The “Schedule a consultation” button encourages visitors to talk to your team and confer with experts for custom guidance and tips.

Call to Action Examples for Social Media

Social media is the most widely used platform, where one can spread the word, reach the target audience, and lead them to the website. Here are some catchy CTAs you can use on social media platforms.

16. “Follow us on Twitter” button: A CTA to encourage your audience to follow you on other platforms and/or stick around for more of the content. The “Follow us on Twitter” button can be located on the website or in your signature in the E-mail, inviting people to become friends with you on this social platform.
17. “Like us on Facebook” button: Facebook is one of the social networks a business organization can utilize in its operations; this CTA is a variation of ‘Follow us on Twitter.’ The “Like us on Facebook” button is incorporated into your website, blog, or other locations, which is visible to web traffic and enables visitors to become fans of your page and be updated with recent news and promotions.
18. “Subscribe to our YouTube channel” button: For businesses that deal with the generation of video content and wish to direct their products/ content to the YouTube platform this CTA is well suited for them. The button to subscribe to your YouTube channel can be placed on your website’s webpage, as an email signature, and at the bottom of the video descriptions, urging visitors to subscribe to updates regarding new videos added.
19. “Share this post” button: It is a powerful call to action to get the word out on your content. One of the buttons is the “Share this post,” which may be placed on your blog or at the end of the social media posts to encourage the followers to share your post with their followers.
20. “Join the conversation” prompt: This is less direct of asking the CTA of your target audience and is more inquisitive. For instance, the slogan “Join the conversation” can be incorporated into your media share posts, the comments section on your blog, or conversational forum and encourages the customer to speak a word of his/her own opinion, contribution, or even a question.

Call to Action Examples from Popular Brands

Here are CTA examples from some of the highest-converting brands — perfect examples of successful calls to action. Let’s dive in!

21. Hulu

There are many good examples on the Hulu website regarding using Call-To-Action buttons. Getting to their homepage, one will be greeted with details on how to join them and use their services. When they scroll through the information, visitors get the direct ” Start your free trial ” button to use the offered services.

However as you go down their site depending on your browser, you are most likely to find information on their site about their bundle. This information then goes down with a “Get Bundle” clicking button.

22. Uber Eats

Second, following the above CTA examples, we can find another example on the Uber Eats platform. Actually, immediately getting into their home page of this website, there is an inducement to type your address. Then you can select the times you want the delivery completed.

After providing this information, a CTA button appears as “Find Food” to guide the client on the way forward.

Having chosen an item, a user will navigate back to the cart where there is a large CTA button informing a user how many items were added to the order and how much was added.

23. Spotify

Looking at Spotify can help to get ideas on what call to action button this author might need. Like most other musical platforms, Spotify has two contrasting colored CTAs on their page for people to explore more about the premium music services, or they can go ahead and try the premium services for one month for free.

Then, to glance at the plans and prices or check out the features in detail, you will find a banner of green color, written “get start” for every plan of the tools.

24. Starbucks

For real-life examples of a call to action, you should look at Starbucks’ site, as suggested by Dan Sheeks. CTAs are located on their site, and all are of different types, and every option offered to the user directs the customer elsewhere.

For different drink and food options, an ‘add to order’ CTA button appears, follows you down the page as you scroll to read more about the product, and allows you to adjust the food menu to your preference.

25. Birchbox

If you want to get inspired to create an effective call to action, you’ll need to consider Birchbox’s site. Their site has many fabulous CTAs, many of which prompt users to take action. At first glance at Birchbox’s homepage, at the top, there is a CTA encouraging users to join the beauty boxes.

A little below the fold, it reveals the details of the plan they are offering every month and the price range besides the call to action buttons which state ‘get your box. ‘

You can scroll down their page further and look for even more calls to action, like this one, which reminds you that they can give Birchbox to a friend or gift a box to oneself.

26. Progressive

The second CTA example worth mentioning is Progressive. Progressive currently deploys two blast CTAs: fired CTAs in emails and CTA buttons on websites or emails. When you visit their site, they have a written tagline or statement to click here to find Progressive Agent nearby. They provide a link that leads users to search for an agent.

If you scroll down, in the middle of the page, there are some CTAs that intervene and translate when you click on them. They grab the user’s attention and make the call to action exciting.

27. Houzz

Nest to the list of call-to-action types is Houzz. Houzz makes it easier for you to search through the website and see houses that you like and then find a person who can design the house of your dreams and make it to your liking. When you examine the various choices, you will observe a drop pin in the upper right corner of the photos, and hovering its icon highlights “save a photo.”

Houzz employs these CTAs to show people how to create a book of ideas on redesigning their homes. Houzz operates similarly to Pinterest and employs bright green CTA buttons to assist those on the site, ‘window shopping’ for design inspiration to get in touch with a skilled designer to help them achieve a similar interior.

Then, when you go through the list of various professionals and find one you need, Houzz lists two CTAs at your disposal.

Though one is open to inviting you to drop a message at the profile’s site, the other allows you to click to call the professionals.

28. Medium

Medium is a social platform for sharing news-related articles written by users and hosted on their own website. It works like WordPress, but it’s different in that the users have a place where they can find the posts that the other users have created; the content is mostly news than blogs.

To some extent, Medium users post articles frequently, so they always need more users. What they urge people to do indicates that their proposal also concerns the popular notion that — it is more often than not that less is more.

These things will stand out when you get to Medium’s website; highlighted black buttons say ‘Write’ and ‘Sign up’ on this refreshing banana yellow background.

But when you log in and scroll down this page, you will see that the button at the top changes from green to white in a way that stops just at the background color to make it fully blend into white.

29. Dropbox

Cloud storage is nothing new to us, and Dropbox is one of the most popular services that lets users store data online. They also always utilize headline-style calls to action, which is uncommon in other internet marketing campaigns. This is probably why the current call allows them to follow the tradition, or continuing it is what they are doing now.

In addition to Mariah, several other persuasive CTAs are on their website, which I will highlight below.

Bright and clear images contribute to the effect when these unnoticeable buttons leave little chance to remain unnoticed. It is pertinent to note here that the usage of cloud storage and the concept illustrated in the portraits seem to have no direct relation, however, the simplicity represented in these portraits mimics the simplicity of this tool.

While it may not be conventional, users of the Dropbox platform, over 700 million persons clearly indicate persons who have been persuaded and motivated by their call to action statements.

How To Create a Call to Action

Writing a call to action involves steps that must be strictly followed and analyzed. We will focus on helping you establish an effective CTA to help you reach your marketing objectives.

Step 1: Know Your Audience

The potential customer thereby becomes your focus when you are deciding on what call to action to use. Knowing your customers, what they do, and what they do not like will assist in coming up with the most appropriate CTA statement.

Do surveys and research on your buyers, check your website statistics, and get the necessary information to identify your audience.

Step 2: Define Your Goal

What is your call for action? Are you seeking to do lead generation sales or website traffic? For instance, by defining your goal, you benefit in two aspects when creating the CTA and judging its success.

Step 3: Use Action-Oriented Language

The words used in your call to action box must be plain and get straight to the point. When you go for the final yes, ensure that all your calls to action are action verbs, including ‘buy now,’ ‘sign up’ or ‘know more. ’

Do not use passive language or phrases that may intrigue or discourage the audience while reading your text.

Step 4: Make it Stand Out

The best way to ensure that your call to action gets a good response is that the call to action should be easily seen and contrasted with the rest of your content.

You can do this by using colors opposite to those you used on your website or surrounding area, using strong and conspicuous colors for the CTA text, or making the CTA text larger compared to the rest of the content on the website.

This can be important in ensuring that your CTA is well-positioned wherever it will be most noticed on your website or marketing publications.

Step 5: Create Urgency

Several critical actions are known to help get people into action, one of which is establishing the need for speed.

You can do this by adding phrases like “that expire soon” or “comes with limited stocks” beside your CTA statement like “buy now, only available while in stock. ”

Step 6: Test and Refine

Every great CTA has to be established and refined over time, with some versions being better than others. Ideally, placing the call to action in a few versions is also appropriate, and it is necessary to create the desired outcome.

You can do this using the A/B Test technique in which two CTA designs are developed, and their effectiveness is compared and analyzed. To enhance the performance of your CTA, make a point of utilizing the information you have collected.