Words on buttons

Whether it’s a content marketing email or a product description page, what’s the most important feature of your copy? The call to action.

Everything else is leading up to that all-important sign up, download or purchase. The text on your CTA button needs to seal the deal. Here’s how.

Don’t say “click here”

It’s a button. People know to click it. Saying “click here” doesn’t explain anything about what the button does or what the user will get out of it.

The golden rule of copywriting is to write for people – and people want to know what’s in it for them.

Be specific

Don’t say submit. Or yes/no. You can do better than that.

A button should make perfect sense in isolation. Lots of website users will be skimming the page not reading much. If they glance at a button, the text should be specific enough that they know pretty much what to expect.

Don’t be too clever

There’s no point being creative if it confuses people. When it comes to buttons, straightforward beats quirky every time.

We’ve all seen those annoying pop-ups with buttons like “yes I’m happy with stained clothes, I don’t want an ebook on 101 laundry tips”. Don’t be one of those people.

Use verbs

More specifically, the imperative form (commands like “buy”). Verbs imply action. They’re clear and direct. Verbs are every writer’s best friend.

Keep it short

Unless you’re making it long for deliberate effect.

Buttons look better when they’re short. They’re not supposed to be poetic or flamboyant. If you need lots of words for your button, it’s too complicated and you might need to rethink the action you’re asking people to take.

Make it urgent

This one’s more of an optional extra. Words like “today” or “now” make people think of an immediate reward. It’s a useful way to turn a simple call to action into a more compelling command.