CTA, or call to action in general UX and web design is crucial and sometimes overlooked. With the birth and development of CSS, it is becoming increasingly popular to customise buttons that require action from the user. The countless websites you’ve seen with either ‘Check out my portfolio’ or ‘Read more’ or ‘Buy now!’ buttons are becoming standard, and for good reason. The user needs direction; after being presented with ideas, designs or suggestions, the homepage becomes a teaser – if the user likes it they have a simple direction to learn more or buy the product. It’s a win win – it looks great and provides a very usable, persuasive experience.You can find out more about persuasive design at one of my buddies blogs here.
Below are some great examples of providing persuasive call to action buttons:
Always been a fan of the invoicing machine. The screen grab doesn’t do it justice, but it’s header region stands right out give the user enough info to know what the site is about, and then provides more info or sign up buttons, if interested.
Love the new(ish) basecamp design, along with the simplicity the invoice machine example provided, basecamp’s button offers a time-frame estimate for new users to sign-up. ‘Sign up in 60 seconds’; these fast sign up’s are a breath of fresh air compared to the tragic, outdated sign-up forms of old. They provide the user with a very tempting offer!
Plain and simple is this persuasive button’s promise, 2 words every user loves. The simpler and easier it is to get going, the better.
Another very nice button which provides a description of where it’s going to take you, as well as a little support promise to add in some trust.
Good old mail chimp doing it the right way. Big bold buttons that stand out more than anything else. Both with time scale and price descriptions. Good stuff.
When it comes to downloading any form of software, FireFox have got it down. The most descriptive button here – price, language and windows version.
So when you’re next designing those buttons don’t overlook their function, and try to think like the end user. Is this going to help them? Is this going to entice them?
November 8th, 2009 at 3:28 pm
Hi there,
Interesting, did you plan to continue this article?
Thanks
BernieR
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