Effective Call-to-Actions for Consulting Websites

The psychology behind CTAs that convert: (5 lessons from billions of emails sent) Your CTA (Call-to-Action) isn’t just a button or a link. It’s the moment where all your effort pays off. But here’s the truth: Most CTAs fail because they don’t consider the psychology behind what drives someone to click. Here are 5 CTA strategies I’ve tested that consistently drive higher conversions (and why they work): 1. Make the action feel easy: Instead of: “Complete Your Registration” I tested: “Get Started in 60 Seconds” Why this works: People avoid tasks that feel time-consuming or overwhelming. A CTA that emphasizes speed and simplicity lowers resistance. 2. Use urgency to create momentum: Instead of: “Sign Up for the Sale” I tested: “Ends Tonight: Claim Your 50% Off” Why this works: A deadline taps into FOMO (fear of missing out), pushing people to act now instead of “later.” 3. Highlight a benefit, not a feature: Instead of: “Learn More” I tested: “See How We Boosted Revenue by 27%” Why this works: People don’t want to “learn”. They want outcomes. A benefit-focused CTA paints a clear picture of the value they’ll receive. 4. Be specific, not generic: Instead of: “Click Here” I tested: “Download Your Free Email Template” Why this works: Clarity builds trust. When someone knows exactly what they’ll get, they’re far more likely to click. 5. Match your CTA to their stage in the journey: Instead of: “Buy Now” on a first touchpoint I tested: “Get a Free Demo” Why this works: Asking for too much, too soon, feels pushy. Tailoring your CTA to where the customer is in their decision-making process creates a smoother path to conversion. --- The Big Lesson: Your CTA shouldn’t be an afterthought. It’s the bridge between interest and action. Small tweaks like emphasizing speed, clarity, or outcomes can make a massive difference. What’s the best-performing CTA you’ve tested? Drop it in the comments.

Most CTAs kill conversions before they even start. I've analyzed 500+ websites and found the same mistakes: • "Learn more" buttons • "Get started" links • "Click here" prompts These generic CTAs are conversion killers. After analyzing over 500+ websites I found this is what REALLY works: 1. Be specific "Save 10+ hours on client reporting" > "Learn more" 2. Create urgency "Lock in Q1 pricing today" > "Sign up" 3. Show value "Generate your free SEO audit" > "Get started" 4. Make it visible ↳ Sticky headers ↳ Contrasting colors ↳ Strategic placement 5. Match user intent "Book your strategy session" > "Contact us" The best CTAs don't just take up space. They guide users to the exact solution they need. Make every word count.

If you want more leads, your CTA needs to do more than just ‘Learn More.’ Be honest—how many times have you clicked a vague ‘Learn More’ button and immediately lost interest? Exactly. Yet, so many business owners wonder why their website visitors aren’t converting. The problem isn’t that you need more eyes on your offer or services. It’s what happens AFTER they land on your page. If I had to guess without even LOOKING at your copy, you’re likely doing one (or all) of these 3️⃣ common copywriting mistakes. ❌ Your CTA is too vague ❌ There’s no urgency ❌ You’re making them work too hard So what’s one of the easiest ways to increase conversions INSTANTLY? Here’s how I write high-converting CTAs that actually get clicks. ➡️ First, be specific. Instead of ‘Learn More,’ tell them what they’re actually getting: **👉 “Download the Free Guide”** if it’s a lead magnet. **👉 “Book Your Free Strategy Call”** if it’s a consultation. **👉 “Grab Your Spot—Only 5 Left”** if you want urgency. ➡️ Second, give them a reason to take action NOW. Deadlines, limited spots, and exclusivity work because they push people to decide. 👉 “Apply now—enrollment closes Friday” will convert better than “Schedule a call anytime.” ➡️ And finally, make it ridiculously easy. 👉 One clear action, one simple step. No unnecessary clicks, no confusing paths. A good CTA makes saying ‘yes’ the obvious choice. Your audience isn’t ignoring you—they just don’t know what you actually want them to do. Fix your CTA, and you’ll fix your conversions. Not sure how to fix your CTA? Let’s talk. ✚ Follow Samantha Hawrylack, MBA for all things SEO, copywriting, email marketing, content marketing, and digital growth. I’m on a mission to help brands scale with data-driven marketing strategies that generate massive visibility and effortless sales while having lifestyle freedom.

One of the most under-optimized components is the “Call to Action.” PPC campaigns do well with simple and straightforward CTAs, like: Buy Now >> to the product/cart page Call Now >> give it a number Get Started >> to a form or purchase process But on the website, asking for actions doesn't usually have the same impact. Instead here are 3 things we often use to improve the CTA: 1️⃣  CTA vs. CTB Many customers don’t like to be told “what they should do.” And Call-to-Actions are “commands.” The solution is to change your commands to show them the value they’ll get. Change your “Call to Action” to "Call to Benefits" - CTB. Ex. →  Sign Up Now ↳  Get Your 5-Step CRO Plans →  Get Started ↳  Get Your SEO Audit for Free Giving them a reason to take action is better than asking them to take action. 2️⃣  Diversifying CTAs For landing pages aiming for a singular action, diversity in CTAs can prevent that feeling of a salesperson constantly in your face. Some landing pages are packed with “Contact Us Now” buttons. When users see 10 of them through the page, it’s as if they’re followed by a salesperson asking “how can I help you” every 5 seconds. So customize your CTAs to match the surrounding context to increase its relevance. Ex. In the case study area,  →  Try “Join Them to Tune Up Your Website” In the pain→solution section, →  Try “Get Back on Track Today” A good sales person doesn’t just repeat the ask all the time, A good landing page doesn’t do that either. 3️⃣  And placement matters. So many pages have dead clicks and their CTA is just slightly out of sight so the customers don’t see it. Use tools like Crazy Egg and Hotjar to analyze and optimize where your CTAs should live based on actual user behavior.   Don't let your CTAs fade into the background. Place them where they're most likely to catch the eye, and use analytical tools to fine-tune their placement. Strengthen your CTAs with these tactics. P.S. Rinse and repeat. :)

One common complaint among B2B marketing leaders is: “We just aren’t converting enough of our site visitors into SQLs.” And one of the most direct ways to attack the problem and increase your conversion rates is to overhaul your approach to CTAs. In conducting a behavioral analysis for one of our clients, we noticed that they had zero clicks on “Contact Us” and “Contact Sales” CTAs over a 6-week period. Instead, other CTAs dominated. The “Contact” CTAs were a waste of real estate in the site. Implementing CTAs ineffectively is one of the most common website mistakes that we come across. Yet, when was the last time you analyzed your CTA performance??? If you want more conversions and SQLs in 2025, overhauling how you deploy CTAs is low-hanging fruit. COMMON CTA MISTAKES AND HOW TO FIX THEM: ☠️ Maintaining CTAs that Attract Minimal Clicks Use behavioral data or CRO software to track the clicks on the different types of CTAs in your site. For the client listed above, they had zero clicks on “Contact Us” and “Contact Sales” CTAs. If a certain type of CTA is not working, test other CTAs instead. ☠️ Using Only One CTA in the Website Some sites use only one CTA throughout the site, and they use it everywhere without regard to user intent or contextual relevance. This is a big mistake. Instead, customize your CTAs per page/post/content. ☠️ Not Making Them Contextually Relevant Ensure your CTAs are relevant throughout each stage of the buyer journey. If the content is product-focused, then "Book a Demo" makes sense. But if the content is TOFU in nature, a relevant educational webinar or report would probably be far more effective. ☠️ Not Mixing It Up in a Single Blog Post Too many times, we’ve seen companies using only one CTA repeatedly in blog posts. Instead, use a cascading technique to change up the CTAs as they make their way through the content. Perhaps an informational CTA might be appropriate towards the top of the post, but then you might have success by sharing relevant templates or case studies lower in the post, for example. ☠️ Not Mixing Up the Visual Format Beyond CTA buttons, test different visual styles of CTAs. You can also try floating bars, pop-ups, slide-ins, etc. By mixing up the format, you’re more likely to disrupt the pattern and grab their attention. ☠️ Using Generic Language When appropriate, use action-oriented language in your CTAs that clearly tells the visitor what they’ll get. For example: “Download the Report,” “Download the Free Template,” or “Schedule a Demo,” etc. ☠️ Not Promoting Your Live Events Have a webinar or online event coming up? Use CTAs in your website to promote it. We often see companies overlooking this type of promotional opportunity to increase sign-ups, but it’s low-hanging fruit. ☠️ Not Conducting CTA Testing Many companies set their CTAs and then never touch them again. Instead, conduct A/B tests of your CTAs to gauge which ones work most effectively. Let’s Destroy Mediocre Marketing!