Buttons are the smallest element on your site and the one most directly connected to revenue. Most of them say Submit. Here is what to do instead.
Write buttons in the visitor's voice describing what they get, not what they do: Get my quote beats Submit. Use one primary action per screen, make it visually distinct from everything else, and place it at the point where someone has just been given a reason to act rather than only at the bottom.
Copy: describe the outcome, not the mechanic
| Weak | Better | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Submit | Send my enquiry | Submit describes your database, not their benefit |
| Click here | See pricing | Says nothing about what happens |
| Learn more | How it works | Vague, and used so often it is invisible |
| Contact us | Book a growth call | Names the actual next step |
| Download | Get the checklist | Emphasises what they receive |
First person sometimes lifts click-through: Get my quote rather than Get your quote. It is worth testing rather than assuming, since it does not win everywhere.
One primary action, and mean it
Pages with four equally weighted buttons convert worse than pages with one. Every additional choice adds a decision, and decisions cost you people.
Have one primary style used sparingly, and a secondary style for lower commitment options. If everything is a filled button, nothing reads as the main path.
Placement
- One in the header, visible everywhere.
- One in the first screen, after the headline has explained why.
- After each block that gives a reason to act, such as pricing or proof.
- At the end of the page, where people who read everything arrive.
- On mobile, within thumb reach rather than at the very top.
The pattern is to place the action immediately after the argument for it, rather than treating the bottom of the page as the only place a decision can happen.
Design details that matter
- Sufficient contrast against the background, both for visibility and for accessibility.
- At least 44 pixels tall on touch devices.
- Looks clickable. Rounded corners, a fill, a shadow, or all three.
- Visible focus state for keyboard users, which is a legal requirement in many contexts and routinely removed by developers who dislike the outline.
- Loading state on submit, so nobody double-clicks and sends twice.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best call to action text?
The one that describes what the visitor gets. Get my quote, See pricing, Book a call. Avoid Submit and Click here, which describe the mechanism rather than the outcome. Specificity beats cleverness.
How many calls to action should a page have?
One primary action, repeated as often as the page is long. Multiple different primary actions compete and reduce all of them. Secondary options are fine when styled clearly as secondary.
What colour should buttons be?
Whichever has strong contrast against your background and is not used for anything else on the page. There is no universally best colour. What matters is that the primary action is visually distinct from every other element.
Should buttons be above the fold?
Have one visible in the first screen, after the headline has given a reason. Repeat it further down. A button before any explanation asks for commitment before giving a reason to commit.
Do first-person buttons work better?
Sometimes. Get my quote outperforms Get your quote in some tests and not others. It is cheap to test on a high-traffic page and not worth assuming either way.