13 Call-to-Action (CTA) Buttons That Go Beyond “Learn More” and “Get Started”

The call-to-action (CTA) is an essential part of your sales and marketing that has to be exactly right if you’re going to get results. While there are tried-and-true options (like the ones mentioned in the title) that people can’t seem to get away from, there is also something to be said for getting creative with your CTAs. If you’re looking to inspire more conversions and grow your business, you’ll need to take the time to hone your craft and create the most powerful CTAs that motivate your audience to make a move. 

The only difference between someone who’s browsing and someone who’s buying is that the latter has taken action. It’s the same case with window shoppers versus customers—if they are captivated by a product or service, they’ll take action to move from the former to the latter. If there’s nothing to get their attention, they’ll probably just keep moving along. 

Before we get to the examples, let’s discuss what exactly makes a call-to-action effective. 

How to create effective CTAs

The elements that make up a compelling CTA will be different for every business, but understanding them and why they work is the key to your success. There are a few different guidelines to keep in mind:

• Get their attention: You can’t expect people to take action if they don’t even see your CTA. Make sure that the combination of design, font, and placement makes your call-to-action stand out, even if they’re skimming. 

• Stick to a single request: Have one goal in mind. If you ask people to choose between actions, you’ll add more confusion and uncertainty. If you want different actions to be taken, create different landing pages and marketing strategies for each. 

• Be specific and direct: If you want to haggle or play hard-to-get, save it for another place. The CTA is exactly what it says: a button of action. Make it clear exactly what you want people to do and only give them one option. 

• Make the next move obvious: In the same regard, you have to make sure that you word that CTA to ensure the next move is clear. Something like “take the next step today!” is not going to be as effective as “Sign up for your discount package now,” for example. 

Motivate people with action-oriented language: Use action verbs in your CTA and create that sense of urgency. Consider words like:

• Reserve
• Get
• Download
• Start
• Order
• Grab

If you check all of these off, you’ll be sure to create much more effective, engaging calls-to-action. 

Calls-to-Action that convert

1. Smith.ai: Book a Consultation

With this CTA, we’re telling our audience specifically what to do: reach out to us to schedule a consultation at a time that works for them. They can do this by clicking the CTA button or by using the contact information above the button to reach us. It’s one of our most effective CTAs and it’s a great way to start the list. 

2. CloudSpot: Get Your App 

This one puts it in the users' hands: get YOUR app, not “our” app. It’s a great way to hand the responsibility and ownership to the user and increase the likelihood of conversion.

3. Waldo Contacts: Start Your Free Trial

This one gives you two great lines. The CTA is clear as day: when users click, it will lead them to start their free trial. And why should they do that? The line “get ready to see happiness” sums that part up. 

4. Casper Mattress: Start Sharing

Not only do they have a great message with “friends don’t let friends toss & turn,” but they also have a simple, straightforward signup that tells you exactly what to do. It’s direct and simple. 

5. Owala: Shop Bottles

This one is again direct and concise. Once people read what the cause is, they can simply click the CTA rather than having to navigate to the sales page on their own. 

6. OptinMonster: Increase My Conversions

Here’s another example of turning the ownership around—the button says MY conversions, not “your”—this often creates a connection for users they can’t deny, resulting in the click-through.

7. Beautiful.ai: Start a Trial 

It stands out and it makes a simple statement. Again, it tells the user exactly what to do: start their trial. 

8. VoiceNation: See Plans and Pricing

What better way to be upfront than to go straight to the pricing page? Most consumers will tell you that they LOVE it when brands are transparent and confident in what they offer, as opposed to those brands that want to provide “custom quotes” or ask you to contact them for pricing. 

9. Awayco: Book the Board

This board rental company is a great example of keeping it fun and getting to the point. Their CTA is direct and tells the user exactly what they’re getting. 

10. Shoelace: Download the Deck

This is a great example of using the same CTA in multiple places to make a simple, repeated point: get the deck. 

11. Unbounce: Explore Templates

This bright, eye-catching design also tells you exactly how to proceed: Explore the templates to create better landing pages. 

12. Goby: Get Your Goby

Goby keeps it simple, starting by advertising a good deal and then inviting users to “get your Goby” with a simple CTA. 

13. Starbucks: Swipe Up to Try

This is a cool example of Instagram Stories used for marketing. It’s innovative and it creates curiosity, which is the key to getting people to click—if nothing else, people want to know what’s on the other side. 

Speaking of innovative, add a partnership with Smith.ai to your arsenal

While you’re busy building the perfect CTA, you’ll want to ensure you have systems in place to handle the influx of new leads, including a 24/7 answering service so that you never miss an opportunity. When you partner with the virtual receptionists at Smith.ai, you get that and so much more. We can even handle outreach campaigns and outbound sales in the first place, freeing up your time to focus on your business. 

Schedule a consultation today to discuss how the 24/7 virtual receptionists at Smith.ai can help with marketing and lead intake and so much more. You can also reach us at hello@smith.ai or (650) 727-6484.