Definition
The call-to-action is the most important element in most marketing emails. CTA best practices ensure your button or link is noticed, understood, and clicked. They cover visual design, placement, copywriting, and accessibility.
Key Best Practices
- Use a single primary CTA: Emails with one clear call-to-action consistently outperform those with multiple competing options.
- Make it visually distinct: Use a contrasting colour, generous white space, and a large touch target (minimum 44x44 pixels on mobile).
- Write specific action text: "Get 20% Off" outperforms "Shop Now." Tell subscribers exactly what they will get.
- Place it above the fold: The primary CTA should be visible without scrolling on most screens.
- Repeat at the bottom: A secondary CTA at the end of the email captures subscribers who read to the finish.
- Test button versus text link: HTML buttons typically outperform plain text links, but test on your audience.
Related Glossary Terms
Accessible CTA (Email)
An accessible CTA is a button or link coded with sufficient colour contrast, visible focus states, descriptive screen-reader text, and a minimum touch target of 44×44 pixels.
AIDA Model for Email
The AIDA model (Attention, Interest, Desire, Action) is a classic copywriting framework used to structure email campaigns that guide subscribers from awareness to conversion.
Anchoring Effect in Email Marketing
The anchoring effect is a cognitive bias where the first piece of information presented (the anchor) influences subsequent decisions, used in email to frame pricing and value perception.
Authority Principle in Email Marketing
The authority principle is a persuasion concept where people trust and follow the guidance of perceived experts, used in email marketing through credentials, certifications, and expert positioning.
BAB Framework for Email
The BAB framework (Before-After-Bridge) is a copywriting structure that paints a picture of the subscriber's current struggle, contrasts it with a better future, and presents your solution as the bridge.
Bundle Email
A bundle email promotes a package deal combining multiple products or services at a discounted price, designed to increase average order value and move inventory.