Designing a Call-To-Action That Converts Every Time

September 18, 2018 - Posted by: CreateApe

If you’re in the design space, you’ve probably heard the acronym CTA. While it sounds like a disease, CTA stands for “Call To Action.” It’s a button or a link that users can interact with in order to inform or convert them to make a buying decision. Marketers love to throw out phrases like “We need a strong CTA” and we’re here to discuss what that even means.

A typical call to action you see on eCommerce websites are the “Buy Now” and “Click Here” boxes. Although it depends what your goal, product, and demographic you’re targeting is, there are some common denominators every CTA should have. Here’s a checklist to make sure you’re maximizing conversion every time.

1. Placement

First, a strong CTA should be easy to see and should have a prominent placement. Although some may think size and color are the most important factor of a CTA, it’s about what’s happening around the space that you need to be conscious about. Think about the button in context with the page. If you have a CTA with pictures all around it it’s going to be hard for the human mind to see it. A CTA with clean boundaries is going to get more clicks.

2. Color

General rule of thumb is to make sure the color is vibrant. Websites with a black box and white text may not perform as well. A colorful button that stands out in the design will attract more clicks. Be wary of going overboard. If you have a website that has colorful text, design, links, and you have a colorful CTA, it’s going to get lost in the composition.

This Madewell CTA could have been more impactful with color differentiation. Due to the black and white, the user has to stop and read both buttons to make a decision instead of making a subconscious choice. For example, a “yes” button being green and a “no” button being red.

In this example, the designer uses green and grey to differentiate. As a result, the user gravitates towards the green “Yes” intended to capture the greatest conversion.

3. Size

Your main CTA should be fairly large. Not large enough to be be obnoxious, but it should be larger than most of the items on the page. For example, on your typical landing page you’ll have title, subtitle, some text and two CTA’s. Typically, those CTA’s like “buy now” or “learn more” have a greater emphasis on them then the rest of the items on the page. The main CTA like “buy now,” should have a heavier weight due to it being the button that will lead to greater conversion and monetization.

Additionally, having a sub-CTA like “learn more” is important for those who aren’t ready to buy in the moment, but maybe want to buy in the future. In the context of this example, your main CTA “buy now” should be stronger than the sub-CTA intentionally. If they’re both the same weight then the mind will have to differentiate between the two. If the “buy now” is stronger, it will get more clicks.

Why CTA’s are Essential:

Most importantly, designing an effective CTA is the difference between converting a customer or generating a lead that will become a customer later on. It’s an integral part of digital marketing and user interface design. With the these tips, you’ll be able to design a CTA that’s effective and engaging.

Are you a business owner or entrepreneur that needs help deciding on which applications are best for your business? Let us help get you get #JungleReady. Let our CreateApe expert team be your jungle guide. We will help you traverse the wilds as we take your project to new heights.

Clutch.co Ranks CreateApe Top Design Agency in Orange County

September 6, 2018 - Posted by: CreateApe

CreateApe is now featured on Clutch.co and has already received two stellar reviews for outstanding service. Clutch is a Washington DC based research, ratings and reviews firm that covers thousands of business to business firms from over 500 different industries. Each company on Clutch is evaluated on multiple criteria such as; market presence, client base, and industry experience. Clutch’s platform allows firms to compare similar services and choose the one that best compliments their future business plans.

Additionally, CreateApe’s talented team of experts are not only capable of implementing the newest technologies on the market, but also excel at providing the highest customer service possible to all our clients. No matter the level of complexity of the project, CreateApe is eager to develop modern, visually appealing products that not only look good, but are functional and intuitive. In addition to UX and UI design, our team can also help with web development and over all digital services. For any business inquiries or questions, please contact us here.

A recent client of ours has given feedback on a project with us on Clutch.co and rated us a 5- star service. The project was to create a real estate management platform that was easy to use for all parties. The reviewer was incredibly impressed with our turnaround. They said,

“We can give them a skeleton model and they come back with an incredible representation of what we’re seeking.”

Another reviewer of CreateApe on Clutch’s platform really appreciated our refreshing approach compared to other businesses they’ve worked with. They said,

“What was refreshing about CreateApe is that they took the time to understand the technology we’re using.”

This reviewer goes on to talk about the results of the web design we created for them. They also said,

“It’s getting positive feedback on the look and feel, a major improvement from the previous site.”

All this positive feedback on Clutch has already made us a leader on their Orange County UX Designers page. Furthermore, Clutch just announced that on September 5th, they’ll be releasing a press release of the top business service companies in California. Even with two reviews, we’ll be included in this press release because of our hard work and commitment to clients.

We look forward to collecting more Clutch reviews on our profile to rank even higher as a UX and Digital agency. Thank you to our clients for spending the time supporting us and leaving us feedback through Clutch’s platform!

5 Questions You Should Ask Your Graphic Designer

June 5, 2018 - Posted by: CreateApe

So, it’s time for a new website. Not only do you want the best website for you or your brand, but you want to find the right team too. Here’s five questions to ask when choosing a graphic designer or even a web developer.

Who have you worked for in the past?

This isn’t to say designing for big companies is everything, but having consistent quality is. Looking at a robust portfolio will allow you to see if they can deliver your desired outcome and design aesthetic. If they don’t have the kind of design ethic/standard you need from the get go, they aren’t a match. Finding an agency that has worked in the same vertical as you is a huge plus! They’ll understand the lingo and what the consumer expects.

What platforms do you design for?

Making sure you’re going to be comfortable working with the platform that the agency understands will be important. Can you use the admin system or are you going to have to learn something new? Good to pick an agency with comfort in the platform like WordPress or Shopify that you want to work in, or can help train you if they recommend a different platform.

What is your user experience methodology?

Find out how they approach putting themselves in the customer’s shoes. How do they know that what they are designing will “fit” that particular audience or demographic? If a company is skilled in UX design and has done the proper research, they will be able to tell you.

How does your process work?

Having the agency explain their process is how you’ll align with them on their responsibilities vs. yours. You need to get out in the open what their expectations are of you, and what turnaround times, delivery, and production schedules might look like. Lack of understanding about timelines, schedules and deliverables could be a huge red flag. If they can’t effectively manage the project and give you a “to-do” list, how will they be a good partner?

Can I speak to a few references?

Get feedback! Knowing the strengths and weaknesses about the company you’re about to work with is a good idea. They might be great at delivering projects, but perhaps spending more time in specific areas that are a key focus for your business would be a better use of your budget. Their past references might give some insight into offerings you didn’t even know they had. It’s inevitable some companies will spend more time on different things depending on their expertise. Utilize their best creative resources to get the best outcome!