How do you avoid common CTA mistakes that hurt your lead generation?

Imagine you're hiking and come across a signpost with three arrows, all saying "This Way." Frustrating, right? The same applies to your CTAs. If your audience doesn't know where they're headed or why, they'll take a detour right off your site. So, be explicit with your language. Instead of "Submit," try "Download Your Free Ebook Now!" Your audience should know exactly what they're getting and how to get it. The cherry on top? Action words. Your CTA is a rallying cry, so make it dynamic and compelling.

A client of ours is an online course provider. She gives away a free one-month trial to attract new users. She was using very generic CTA's and was averaging CTR's around 0.8%. By changing these to more specific CTA's like "Start your free one-month trial today" and "Experience premium learning free today", her CTR increased to 2.7%. Why? Because the revised CTAs are specific, telling visitors exactly what action to take. They communicate the low risk (free) and the urgency (today, now) of your offer. The specific language not only draws attention to the core benefits of your offer but also creates a sense of urgency that can compel your visitors to act immediately.

Let's say you're hosting a barbecue. You wouldn't serve vegan burgers to your meat-loving guests, would you? It's the same with your CTAs. Knowing your audience's wants, needs, and pain points ensures you're serving up CTAs they can't resist. Do your research, create detailed buyer personas, and craft your CTAs to match. Don't forget about your goals either. If you're looking for webinar signups, a "Buy Now" CTA isn't going to cut it.

Here's a little secret: design matters. You could have the most enticing CTA copy in the world, but if it's hidden away or visually unappealing, it's not going to deliver. Your CTA should be the belle of the ball, placed prominently and dressed up with eye-catching colors and design. Don't be afraid to test different placements either - sometimes, unconventional locations, like in the middle of a blog post, can do wonders for your click-through rates.

Putting all your eggs in one basket is a risky business. This applies to your CTAs too. A single type of CTA throughout your website can be monotonous and, dare I say, ineffective. Mix it up! Use different CTAs for different stages of the buyer's journey. Someone who's just starting to research might appreciate a "Learn More" button, while a visitor who's been comparing options for a while might be ready for a "Start Your Free Trial!" CTA. Diversity is the key to capturing leads at all stages.

"Always be testing" should be your lead generation mantra. After all, how do you know if your CTAs are working if you don't measure their performance? Look at metrics like click-through rates, conversions, and the number of leads generated. But don't just gather data; use it. If a CTA isn't pulling its weight, change it up. Maybe it needs punchier language, a different design, or a better placement. The bottom line is - track, test, tweak, repeat. Your CTAs, and your lead generation, will be all the better for it.