Deep Sharma on super charging conversion rates with strategic calls to action
Deep Sharma, BT Business Content Designer takes us through how with a little strategic thinking he super charged calls to action (CTAs) across BT’s Cloud Voice product pages.
So you’ve built a new web page. You’ve nailed the content, crafted catchy H1s and H2s, and included great sales points with just the right imagery. But now comes the tricky part — getting those CTAs right.
You might think adding a few “Get in touch” or “Contact us” buttons would suffice. But here’s something I learned: It’s not just about placing CTAs; it’s about crafting a journey with them.
How it started
Have you ever felt that your CTAs might just be placeholders while you expect the content to do all the heavy lifting? Yeah, I’ve been there too.
In my first three months of working with BT, I was given a task to re-think the CTAs for one of our product pages. And here’s where it all began.
We had “Arrange a call back” CTAs scattered across our cloud voice solutions page. They were like scattered breadcrumbs — visible but not quite leading anyone to a specific destination. It felt like we were saying, “Here, do this,” without giving people a reason or a clear path to follow. That’s when I had a realisation. What if, instead of just placing CTAs, we guided users through a series of steps?
The Hypothesis: From bland to engaging CTAs
The hypothesis was simple: we needed to turn our CTAs into a journey that guides the visitors to take a specific action (in this case, filling out a call back form) and feel confident about getting help.
Our original CTAs were straightforward but a bit bland: “Arrange a call back.”
Useful? Sure.
Exciting? Not so much.
I revamped them to be more action-oriented and relevant to where the user was on the page.
- “Arrange a call back” became “Speak to an expert.”
- In product comparisons, we swapped “Arrange a call back” for “Get started with basic,” “Get started with connect,” and “Get started with collaborate.”
- “Speak to an expert” became “Schedule a call back.”
This approach was about creating a sense of progression, making the process feel natural and intuitive rather than pushy and repetitive.
The A/B test: From clicks to conversations
We put this hypothesis to the test with an A/B test. Here’s how it played out:
- The new variant converted at 12.7%, a whopping 259% better than the default 3.5%.
- For desktop users, the new variant (15.5%) outperformed the default (4.0%) by 291%.
- On mobile, the new variant (2.9%) did 42% better than the default (2.0%).
The journey-based CTAs were engaging people more than the latter.
Observations and recommendations
Instead of overhauling page content or creating new CTA copy, focus on how CTAs are laid out. Traditional placements might help, but without a clear path, their potential is missed. By guiding users with action-oriented CTAs, we saw increased confidence and inquiries about our BT Cloud Voice plans.
The takeaway? Don’t just aim for catchy CTA copy. Think of CTAs as part of a journey. Guide visitors step by step to the desired action. A guided experience significantly boosts conversion rates. Your visitors will appreciate the thoughtfulness, and your metrics will reflect it.
Ready to Transform Your CTAs?
If you’re looking to make a similar impact, start by mapping out the journey you want your visitors to take. Make each CTA a stepping stone towards their final destination.
