Are You Even Optimizing Your Website Buttons? Here’s How To Make Them Pop
An Article About Buttons. Before you say “meh,” hear me out.
Most people focus on the big things. A good hook, a catchy headline, flashy graphics… And miss out on the most (and oftentimes the only) interactive part of a salespage: buttons.
It’s a no-brainer.
Getting that button clicked is your ultimate goal. It should be made enticing.
Users respond more when things stand out. Whether you want them to take action or engage in the info you share.
We often take this for granted, but buttons are portals to “the other side” — The bridge between traffic and conversions.
We often neglect this one thing, but it pays to make your buttons stand out.
This might involve changing its appearance, size, location or some combination of these things. But however you do it, making things stand out is a surefire way to get users to notice and respond!
But before we dive into the how’s, here’s something to consider when it comes to buttons…
Buttons should stand out, but unassuming.
This reminds me of that line in the Grand Budapest Hotel:
A lobby boy is completely invisible, yet always in sight.
We want to know that they’re there, without having to be too attention-seeking. Ready when we’re about to make the decision. A presence that’s easy to find when we have finally decided to add-to-cart, enroll in a course or make a serious investment.
Make it a bit too invisible or a bit too catchy and it fails. A button that just “blends in” is a recipe for bounces. Make it too catchy and your salespage will start looking like an annoying salesman.
It’s not about making a button “catchy”. It’s more about making it stand out.
The good news is: you can make buttons stand out on your website in all sorts of ways!
Changing the color is just the beginning. You can also highlight different features and draw attention to your call-to-action buttons. To make certain buttons stand out, you might want to change their shape or position in the layout.
But more than how it visibly looks like, the real “convincing” factor here isn’t the button itself but the call-to-action.
Most people think buttons and calls-to-action are interchangeable. Nope. They’re two different things. But they do work together towards conversions.
A button is not a call-to-action.
A button is not a call to action. A call to action is the statement that urges you to click the button.
Think of it this way: a button is like a door. It’s just a physical thing that you can see and touch. A call to action, on the other hand, is like a sign on that door that says “Push here to open.” The call to action is what tells you what to do with the button.
Without a call to action, a door is just a useless hunk of plastic or metal. It’s the call to action that gives the button its purpose. So if you want people to take action on your website, make sure you have a strong call to action — not just a button.
How irresistible your door is doesn’t matter. Copy is still king.
3 Things to remember when it comes to buttons:
- Use contrasting colors: If you want your button to stand out, use a bright, contrasting color. This will make the button more eye-catching and likely to be clicked. If you have established a branding guideline, you should know what your accent color is. In most cases, your accent color is your button color.
- Use a clear CTA copy: The copy that goes before the button or is on the button itself should be clear and direct. It should tell the user exactly what will happen if they click the button. Or better yet, WHY they should click the button.
- Keep it consistent: If you’re using multiple buttons on your webpage, make sure they’re all styled the same way. Users don’t like feeling lost or confused, so if all the buttons are styled differently, users will likely avoid them all together.
This post was originally published in Nin Writes. If you find this content useful, you’ll love all the other stuff I have on my blog.
