Focus on Buttons

When you do research on conversion rate optimization, you will frequently see the term Call To Action or CTA.  This is typically the action you want your user (or your constituent) to take on a given page.  More often than not, the CTA is a button or at least involves a button.  For example, getting a person to visit your giving form typically involves them clicking a button to start the process.  This is the CTA.

Your buttons should be a highly tested part of your giving or event registration process.  Color can have a significant impact on your conversion rate.  Choose a contrasting color from the rest of the web page so it stands out.  This includes buttons on forms.  You want to make it very obvious.  In one study, they saw a 22% increase in conversion rate by changing a button color.

The copy or text used for the button also has a significant impact.  By default, the text for a button on a form is “Submit”.  This is terrible copy for a button.  Make it explicit what the donor or registrant is doing.  For example, “Charge My Card” or “Give $20”.  For a CTA button that starts a donation, try calling it “Give Now” or something similar.  In a study by Hubspot, they show how conversion rates improved by changing the text copy used on buttons for a landing page.

Lastly, some CTAs or form buttons could benefit from having a sense of urgency.  A sense of urgency can help prospects to decide to commit to a given action now as opposed to later.  For example, maybe “Give Now” or “Give Today” works better as a CTA than “Make a Gift”.