For clarification, a call-to-action (CTA) is telling customers exactly what you want them to do. Examples of these actions include: click here now, download a whitepaper, order your purchase today, sign-up for our RSS, etc. These  prompts are a few of the ways you can increase your webpage engagement.

Testing a website’s call-to-action is an important practice for businesses to participate in regularly. An effective call-to-action can mean the difference between a 3% conversion rate and a 10% conversion rate. Hundreds, thousands or millions of dollars in purchases will see a difference here. As you will learn here, call-to-action changes can be large, but they can also be as inconsequential as altering color, copy, style, or size.

In every call-to-action, it is important to be clear and always ask for the close. Don’t assume that your visitors know what you want them to do next. For more information on tracking web conversions, check out our previous article on the subject.

You can adjust your graphics, messages, and offers on your pages to see what is more likely to convert the customers. It takes time to test out what items work best. Below we listed some of the top elements that you should test in your call-to-action for conversions. We also included some optimization tips to go along with them.

1. Color

Use colors that do not blend in with the website’s regular layout. If your site is dark, use a brightly-colored call-to-action button or message. If your website is bright, make the call-to-action darker for better contrast. Remember that you want to grab the attention of your visitors’ eyes. It is a bad sign if your reader has to really look for your call-to-action.

2. Copy

The text of your call-to-action must always be action-oriented and clear. Purchase here, buy now, start now, etc. are all great starting examples of copy that persuade the user to click and take action. However, don’t be afraid to incorporate useful text describing the deal that you’re offering customers (30-day FREE Trial or Unlimited Money-Back Guarantee).

3. Size

Next, our advice is to test the dimensions of your call-to-action. Although it is important to make your call-to-action stand out, the size should also be adjustable so that people notice it. Should you make the text bigger, or the button wider? Does the content take up a lot of space, or does it offer up plenty of room for surrounding content? Don’t leave this question to chance; be sure to test this out!

4. Location

Where on the page does your call-to-action fit best? Try placing your button above the fold, but test different variants for the best results. There is no one-size-fits-all solution. It is all based on the design, goals, and makeup of your site.

5. Whitespace

Removing the clutter and content around your call-to-action proves beneficial for conversion rates. You can do this by decreasing the number of distractions on the rest of your page (other bright colors, verbose text, etc.). This makes your call-to-action stand out and look enticing to the visitor.

Make sure your call-to-action button is able to stand out from the rest of your website’s content.

The best way to properly test your site’s call-to-action is through A/B testing tools that you can find on the web. These tools provide a multitude of ways to augment your site and view the results of your visitors’ behavior. We’ve listed just a few below, but be sure to search for other tools and see which one works best for your conversion strategy.

Google Analytics – This free tool allows you to measure the conversions, ROI, and other specific elements of webpages.

Visual Website Optimizer – For a 30-day free trial, utilize this application’s conversion tools and heatmaps. See where your audience is clicking and adjust accordingly for top results!

Optimizely – Optimizely is another platform to try free for 30 days. Track conversions and signups with this robust A/B testing tool.

Make sure you track your conversion goals using these tools while incorporating the tips we outline above. After conducting a number of these important tests, you will find a much better picture of what your customers see and how you can improve your site’s conversions.