How to Choose a CTA Button Colour for a High Converting Website

Are you looking for ways to improve the conversion rate of your business website? Want to use the best colours for the buttons you use to get visitors to take action?

ConvertKit share their tips for success in this infographic.

They demonstrate how colour evokes the following emotions:

• Optimistic and youthful
• Energy
• Trust and security
• Aggressive
• Romantic

Check out the infographic for more detail.

Call-to-action (CTA) buttons are a crucial element of any website aiming to convert visitors into customers or leads. These buttons serve as a bridge between your website’s content and the desired action you want your visitors to take, whether it’s making a purchase, signing up for a newsletter, or requesting more information.

While many factors contribute to a CTA button’s effectiveness, one of the most visually impactful elements is its colour.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore the psychology behind CTA button colours and provide practical tips on how to choose the right colour to boost your website’s conversion rates. We’ll delve into the significance of colour psychology, discuss the impact of contrasting colours, explore the role of A/B testing, and provide examples of successful CTA button colour choices.

Understanding Color Psychology

Color psychology is the study of how colours can influence human emotions, behaviour, and perceptions. Different colours evoke various emotions and can trigger specific reactions in your website visitors. When it comes to CTA buttons, the colour you choose can either encourage or discourage users from taking the desired action.

Here are some common emotional associations with colours:

• Red: Red is often associated with urgency, passion, and excitement. It can create a sense of urgency and encourage users to take immediate action.
• Green: Green is associated with tranquility, health, and growth. It can convey trustworthiness and suggest a positive outcome.
• Blue: Blue is often linked to trust, reliability, and calmness. It can instill a sense of security and confidence in users.
• Orange: Orange is associated with enthusiasm, creativity, and energy. It can create a sense of enthusiasm and excitement about taking action.
• Yellow: Yellow is associated with happiness, optimism, and warmth. It can be used to draw attention and create a cheerful mood.
• Black: Black can convey sophistication, elegance, and luxury. It’s often used to create a sense of exclusivity.
• White: White is associated with purity, simplicity, and cleanliness. It can create a minimalist and modern look.

It’s important to note that these associations can vary across cultures and individuals, so it’s essential to consider your target audience’s preferences and cultural background when selecting CTA button colours.

The Role of Contrast

Contrast plays a vital role in making CTA buttons stand out and attract user attention. The CTA button should contrast with the background colour of your website to ensure it’s easily noticeable. Here are some tips for creating effective contrast:

• High Color Contrast: Choose a CTA button colour that has a high contrast with the background colour. For example, if your website’s background is primarily light, use a darker colour for your CTA button, and vice versa.
• Size and Position: Make sure your CTA button is appropriately sized and strategically positioned on the page. It should be large enough to catch the user’s eye but not so large that it overwhelms the page.
• Negative Space: Use negative space (empty space around the button) effectively to help the button stand out. Avoid cluttering the area around the CTA button with other elements.
• Button Shape: Consider the shape of your CTA button. Rounded or rectangular buttons can both work well, but make sure they are distinct from other elements on the page.
• Hover Effects: Implement hover effects that change the button’s appearance when a user hovers their cursor over it. This can provide visual feedback and encourage interaction.

A/B Testing: Finding the Perfect Color

Selecting the right CTA button colour isn’t always a straightforward decision. What works for one website or audience may not work for another. This is where A/B testing comes into play. A/B testing involves creating two or more versions of a webpage with different CTA button colours and then measuring which version performs better in terms of conversion rates.

Here’s how to conduct an effective A/B test for your CTA button colours:

• Define Clear Goals: Determine the specific goals of your A/B test. Are you trying to increase sales, newsletter sign-ups, or another conversion metric? Make sure your goals are measurable.
• Create Variations: Design multiple versions of your webpage with different CTA button colours. Ensure that all other elements on the page remain the same to isolate the colour as the variable being tested.
• Randomized Testing: Randomly assign website visitors to one of the variations. This ensures that the test results are not biased by user preferences or behaviour.
• Measure Results: Track the performance of each variation by monitoring conversion rates, click-through rates, and other relevant metrics. Use web analytics tools to collect data.
• Analyze and Decide: After a sufficient amount of data has been collected, analyse the results to determine which CTA button colour generated the highest conversion rates. Implement the winning colour on your website.
• Iterate: A/B testing is an ongoing process. Once you’ve implemented the winning colour, continue to test and refine your CTA button to optimize conversion rates further.

Conclusion

Choosing the right CTA button colour is a critical decision for any website looking to maximize conversions. By understanding colour psychology, considering the role of contrast, and conducting A/B testing, you can identify the most effective colour for your specific audience and goals. Successful websites like Amazon, HubSpot, Dropbox, Slack, and Airbnb have leveraged the power of CTA button colours to drive conversions and engagement.

Remember that the choice of CTA button colour is just one element of a successful conversion strategy. Factors like button text, placement, and overall user experience also play crucial roles in influencing user behaviour. Continuously test and refine your CTA buttons to ensure your website is always optimized for high conversions.

Incorporating the insights shared in this guide can help you create CTA buttons that not only grab your visitors’ attention but also guide them toward taking the desired actions, ultimately contributing to the success of your website and business.