CTA stands for call to action. It is the button, link or line that asks the visitor to do the next thing. Ring us. Get a price. Send a photo. Most trade websites are polite to the point of silence about it, and a page that never asks rarely gets.
Why the wording matters
Learn more, Submit and Find out more ask for nothing, so they get nothing. They ask the visitor to take a step without telling them where it goes, and a nervous homeowner will not tap into the dark.
Say what happens. Get a price for your drive. Send us a photo of the leak. Ring Dave now. The more specific and the more human it is, the more it gets tapped.
A worked example
A tree surgeon had one button on his site. It said Contact, and it went to a page with a form asking for a name, an email and a message.
We changed it to a tappable phone number in the top bar, a green WhatsApp button saying Send us a photo of the tree, and a short form that asks what the job is and where. Nothing about the business changed. What changed is that the site now asks three different ways, each one matching how a different customer prefers to get in touch.
Where to put them
One near the top, before any scrolling. One after the proof, when they have just seen your work and are convinced. One at the bottom of every page, because people who have read the whole thing are the ones most likely to act. On a phone, keep a bar fixed at the bottom with the number in it.
Why it matters for your site
Check these on your own site
- Name the action. Get a price beats Submit every time.
- Make the phone number a tappable link, not typed out as plain text.
- One main action per page, with a quieter second option like WhatsApp.
- Put one above the fold and one at the end. Both get used.
- Buttons need to be big enough for a thumb on a phone, not a mouse on a desk.
Common questions
What does CTA stand for?
Call to action. It is the button or line that asks the visitor to take the next step, such as ringing you or asking for a price.
How many calls to action should a page have?
One main action repeated in a few sensible places: near the top, after your proof, and at the end. A quieter second option such as WhatsApp works well alongside it.