User Experience Design Trends for Effective Call-to-Action Buttons

I spent 10+ hours learning to write stronger calls to action this week. 14 concepts I plan to use: 👉 1. Call to Action vs. Call to Value A call to action is for people ready to buy - keep it as simple as possible. A call to value reminds the prospect of the great outcome they're going to get. 👉 2. Use the phrase "I want to ____" in your button or link copy. Fill in the blank with a desired outcome. THIS: "I want to grow my business" NOT: "Download it now" 👉 3. Use the word "show" THIS: "Show me outfits I'll love" NOT: "Sign up now" That's a real example where the change resulted in 123% more clicks. 👉 4. Use first person language on buttons. THIS: "I want to double my revenue" NOT: "Double your revenue" 👉 5. Think of links as a door. People don't know what's on the other side so it's scary to click. Make it less scary for them. 👉 6. Focus on ONE action. Don't compete with your own CTA by making multiple asks. 👉 7. Lead with action verbs. THIS: "Unlock your marketing potential and download our free strategy guide" NOT: "Download our guide" 👉 8. Use an "If" statement. Weave a specific problem and solution into your CTA. Example: "If you're ready to maximize your profit and grow to 50k months working part-time hours, book a call with me to discuss what next steps would look like for you." 👉 9. Avoid generic phrases. Your CTA should work even if there was no other copy around it. Don't settle for "Click here," "Download now," "Submit," etc. 👉 10. Avoid hesitant language. Be more confident than "Let me know if you want it" or "If you need me..." 👉 11. No jargon or vague language. Address a specific problem using language your target audience uses. Don't say stuff like: "If you want to live your best life and step into your full potential..." 👉 12. No negative language. THIS: "Are you ready to lose 10-25 pounds of that menopause weight?" NOT: "Are you struggling to lose weight with menopause?" 👉 13. Write your CTA before you write anything else. It gives you a north star to guide the rest of your writing. 👉 14. Make sure your CTA includes two things: ✅ Why they should act ✅ Why they should do it NOW Want more useful tips like these? This week on LinkedIn I'll share: • How I turn newsletter subscribers into buyers • A formula you can use to strengthen your niche • How I'm growing my LinkedIn following 👉 Follow me and hit the 🔔 at the top right of my profile to turn on notifications so you don't miss those posts. Thanks for your interest!

Want to immediately improve your web conversion rate? Stop optimizing for mobile - start optimizing for the thumb... One of the best lessons I ever learned about digital performance came from a visit to Facebook a few years ago. At the time, the industry was laser-focused on mobile optimization - but what Facebook taught me was that mobile wasn’t the real battleground - the thumb was... Here’s why: Most of us scroll, tap, and navigate with just one hand. If a user has to shift their phone in their hand to reach a button, they’re less likely to convert. That tiny moment of friction - the pause, the hesitation - costs conversions. The key is Thumb Optimization. Every mobile experience has thumb zones: ✅ Easy to reach – The natural resting place for your thumb ⚠️ Harder to reach – Requires a stretch ❌ Out of reach – Forcing you to shift the phone in your hand For colleges and universities, this presents a huge missed opportunity. Most schools place their most important calls to action - like “Apply Now” or “Request Info” - in the top nav, which requires mobile users to shift their grip to engage. The fix? Make your CTAs floating at the bottom of the screen on mobile, right in the thumb zone. Do this, and you’ll immediately see a lift in conversion rates. Like, immediately. Overnight. Want to see if your site is thumb-optimized? Try this: Open your website on your phone, hold it in one hand, and ask yourself - can I review content and complete key actions without having to shift the phone in my hand? If your calls to action are out of reach, so are your conversions...

The CTA is dead. Don't ask one more person to "Contact us." Or "Sign up now." Or "Learn more." Or "Get started." They don't want to hear it. They're going to ignore you, and keep ignoring you, until you turn those calls to action into Calls to Value — CTVs. Calls to Value are carrots in our brand messaging, not sticks. Instead of begging your audience to like you or trying to entice them to "Act now!", CTVs put the benefit of engagement for the audience front and center: 👉 "Start saving today." 👉 "Get the answers you need." 👉 "Book your next unforgettable trip." 👉 "Find the therapist that's right for you." 👉 "Take control of your journey to better health." Carry your value proposition all the way to the ask, brand leaders. Create value in every step of engagement — even the last one. Put the customer benefit you deliver right in the button. Turn your CTAs into CTVs. Stop asking. Start serving. #branding #messaging #leadership #brandstrategy