Originally published May 2020 ยท Updated October 2026 · By SM Web Development
A call to action is the thing you want someone to do next on your website: call you, book a time, or send a quote request. Most small business websites have one. The trouble is usually that it’s hard to find, there are five of them competing, or nothing happens after someone uses it.
Pick one main action
Decide what most visitors should do. If you run on appointments, it’s probably booking a time. If you quote for work, like a plumber or a roofer, it’s probably calling or sending a quote request. You can offer other ways to get in touch, but one of them should lead, and it should look the same everywhere on the site.
Say exactly what happens
“Submit,” “Get started” and “Contact us” don’t tell anyone what they’re signing up for. Compare them with “Book a service call” or “Get a quote by email.” A good call to action names the action and, where you can, what the person gets.
It also has to match whatever brought them there. If an ad or a Google listing promised a free estimate, the button should say free estimate, not “Contact us.”
Put it where people look
- Near the top of the page, so someone on a phone sees it without scrolling far
- Again at the bottom, for the people who read everything first
- As a phone number that starts a call when it’s tapped
- In a colour that stands out from the rest of the page
Reviews or a short quote from a customer next to the button help too. They answer “can I trust these people?” at the moment someone is deciding.
Keep the form short
Ask only for what you need to reply: usually a name, a way to reach them, and what they need. Every extra field is a reason to give up.
The one extra worth asking for, if you quote for work, is a photo. A picture of the leaking tank or the damaged shingles can save you a trip just to see what the job is.
Don’t fake urgency
Instant-discount banners and countdown timers can work once and cost you trust after that. A clear, honest button that does what it says works better for a business that wants people to come back.
The part most websites miss: what happens next
Your call to action can be perfect and still lose the customer if nothing happens after they use it. The form sends into an inbox nobody checks until Monday. The call goes to voicemail at 5:10. The homeowner who was ready to book a furnace repair hears nothing and calls the next company on the list.
So test the whole path, not just the button:
- Fill in your own form. Does the message arrive, and does the person who sent it get a reply?
- Call your number after hours. What does the caller hear?
- Ask a friend to find how to contact you on their phone, and watch how long it takes.
Test more than one version
If you have analytics on your site, try two versions of your main button’s wording for a few weeks each and compare how many people use it. Change one thing at a time, so you know what made the difference.
Want a second pair of eyes?
How easy it is to call you or ask for a quote is one of the first things we look at in a free website review. We’ll look at your site on a phone, the way your customers do, and tell you the three things we’d fix first.