Modern marketers know that calls-to-action (CTAs) are powerful tools for guiding users toward conversion. CTAs support goals like increasing traffic, generating leads, and encouraging certain behaviors at key decision points.
But confidence in a strategy means proving it works. These CTA best practices, backed by real statistics, highlight just how effective a well-placed, well-worded call-to-action can be in your inbound marketing efforts.
CTA Best Practices That Prove Their Value in Inbound Marketing
A call-to-action (CTA) is a prompt that encourages users to take a next step—often the moment that moves someone from awareness to conversion. CTAs provide clear direction, helping your audience know exactly what action to take, whether they’re reading a blog, watching a video, or scrolling a landing page.
CTAs can take many forms, including:
- Text links within a paragraph
- Standalone buttons
- Graphic-based banners or tiles
- Pop-ups or slide-ins
- Sticky bars at the top or bottom of the screen
Customers expect clear direction. Omitting a CTA can confuse readers and reduce conversions. Many users look for that final button to move forward, and its absence may lead them to abandon the page entirely.
An effective CTA can increase conversions for your business, and there are plenty of sources with the stats to prove it.
13 CTA Practices That Show What Works and What Doesn’t
If you’re convinced that CTAs do, in fact, work, then let’s take it a step further. It’s not just a matter of slapping down a CTA and watching the conversions come in; there’s strategy involved when it comes to placement, phrasing, and more.
Here are some CTA best practices that’ll encourage you to be more strategic with your marketing and sales messaging.
1. CTA Location Makes a Difference
Grow & Convert conducted research on conversion rate estimates for CTAs for email capture forms depending on its location on a given page. They found the following ranges for these popular types of CTA placements:
|
Type of CTA |
What It Is |
Estimated Conversion % |
|
Sidebar |
A vertical column on the side of a webpage |
0.5% – 1.5% |
|
Generic, End-of-Post |
A CTA that follows the end of the text |
0.5% – 1.5% |
|
Pop-Ups |
A CTA that appears as its own window suddenly, often covering a page’s content |
1% – 8% |
|
Sliders |
A popup CTA that slides onto the bottom corner of the screen |
1% – 5% |
|
Bars |
A narrow bar typically spanning the width of the screen |
1% – 5% |
|
Welcome Gates |
A CTA that appears before a user can see the content of the page they clicked on, welcoming them to the site |
10% – 25% |
|
Feature Box |
Similar to a welcome gate, CTA appears upon arriving to a page, often leading to a homepage or landing page |
3% – 9% |
Key Takeaway: Think about running an A/B test analyzing which types of CTAs in certain locations on the page are most impactful to users.
2. Social Media Sharing Buttons can Increase CTR
One e‑commerce business saw a 20% increase in web traffic after adding social sharing buttons to its promotional emails.
Key Takeaway: Adding social sharing options to your emails or landing pages can boost reach and engagement. Test different placements and designs to see what performs best.
3. Bright, Top-of-Page CTAs can Help UX and CTR
Archive Social increased their CTR by 101% by moving their primary CTA into a prominent position above the fold and differentiating colors (VWO).
Key Takeaway: Consider adding brighter colors and placing it at the top of the page, leading to less scrolling for the user and a more intuitive user experience (UX).
4. Reducing Clutter Can Bump Conversions
According to a study by the same source, reducing clutter around their CTA increased Open Mile's conversion rate by 232%.
Key Takeaway: Provide the least amount of distraction for your users, and let your CTA take the main stage.
5. More Offers Equals More Confusion
Including numerous offers on your landing pages reduces conversions by 266% (GMP).
Key Takeaway: Avoid overwhelming your readers – give them only one clear path to take.
6. Getting too Personal Can Cause Conversions to Drop
The same source from GMP found that landing page conversions drop when personal questions are asked.
Key Takeaway: If possible, limit information requests to only what you need to qualify a lead. You can run several A/B tests to pinpoint which personal information request might be rubbing readers the wrong way.
7. Personalized CTAs Are Effective
Personalized CTAs convert 202% more visitors into leads than untargeted CTAs (HubSpot).
Key Takeaway: Make sure your CTA appeals specifically to your buyer persona, and meets them at the right stage in their journey.
8. Clearing up Concerns in CTAs is Productive
The same source highlights research found by Nomad Cooks, a private chef website. The site found that addressing doubt alongside their CTA helped reduce hesitancy and increase conversions by as much as 124%.
Key Takeaway: If you’ve received customer feedback with specific concerns, consider calling them out and reassuring your audience that the purchase is a wise, safe one.
9. Readers May Want More Context Before Clicking
A 2025 case study from Fuel Your Digital found that adding a mid-post CTA – positioned after providing relevant context – boosted downloads by 32%
Key Takeaway: Placing CTAs after enough explanation can improve engagement and conversion. Match CTA timing to your audience’s needs by testing placement within the content flow.
10. Photos of a Product Can Add Clarity
When RevenueZen swapped abstract visuals for actual product screenshots in a June 2025 test, the page’s conversion rate improved by 4%. The visual context helped users feel more confident before clicking the CTA.
Key Takeaway: Product images can eliminate uncertainty. The more clearly users understand what they’re getting, the more likely they are to act.
11. Urgency Generates Conversions
Adding urgency messaging – like “Limited-time offer” or “Only a few left” – can increase conversion rates by up to 332%, according to a 2025 analysis by Wisernotify.
Key Takeaway: Scarcity-driven language and cues encourage quicker decisions. Use them judiciously to prompt action when timing or availability is truly limited.
12. Conversion Rates Increase With Action Words
CTAs that include direct action verbs – like “Get,” “Start,” or “Explore” –saw a 122% increase in conversions in tests analyzed by Persuasion Nation.
Key Takeaway: Strong verbs prompt users to act. Adjusting just a few words can dramatically improve engagement and click-through performance.
13. CTA Buttons Outperform Text Links
According to Vizion, CTA buttons get 28% more clicks than text-based calls to action. Their bold, visually distinct design makes them easier to spot and more likely to drive engagement—especially for users skimming content.
Key Takeaway: Use well-designed buttons instead of plain text to make your CTAs stand out and increase the likelihood of action.
CTA Best Practices & FAQsSome of the most frequently asked questions about CTA use in marketing: Q: How do I know which CTA type my page needs?A: It depends on what the page is meant to do. Pop-ups and welcome gates work well on blog posts or resource pages where you want to grab early attention. For demo, pricing, or product pages, in-line CTAs or sticky bars are better – they guide action without breaking the flow. Each format fits a different stage in the buyer’s journey. Awareness-stage content benefits from bold, interruptive (but not sales-y) CTAs, while decision-stage pages need CTAs that feel natural and well-timed. The best-performing CTA style is the one that fits the user’s mindset on that page. Q: How many CTAs should I use per page?A: Repeating the same CTA is fine – especially on longer pages – but offering multiple, irrelevant callouts can hurt performance. It’s not the number of buttons that’s the problem; it’s the number of choices. Stick to one clear goal per page. If you add multiple offers on a page, make sure they support the main goal without pulling attention away. Focus helps users act faster. |
Turn CTA Insights Into Better Inbound Marketing Results
Effective CTAs reflect clear intent, strong design, and data-backed decisions. The CTA statistics above serve as a lighthouse creating more focused and impactful user journeys.
Use them to guide your testing, adjust placement and design, and shape messaging that aligns with your audience’s goals. Each improvement creates new opportunities to increase engagement and conversions.
Need a Stronger Starting Point for Your Messaging?
Download our free guide to learn what makes a great buyer persona and how to avoid the mistakes that lead to weak targeting and missed conversions.
(Editor's Note: this post was originally published on March 10, 2016, and was recently updated.)
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