The 62 best words to use in your call to action + 80 free call-to-action templates

Calls to action are a key component of your website or blog. Without them, you can’t turn people who visit your website or blog into leads, email subscribers, clients, or customers. But you also can’t use just any calls to action. You need ones that grab your audience’s attention and persuade them to take action. How do you make sure your calls to action work like a charm? Use the right words in them.

Here are the 62 best words to use in your calls to action:

 

Need some help writing powerful calls to action your audience can’t resist?

Download my 80 free call-to-action templates for websites, blogs, and social media.

Send me the free templates

Action words

The goal of your call to action is to encourage your website or blog visitors to take some sort of action. You may want them to schedule a consultation with you, subscribe to your email list in exchange for a content upgrade, or purchase a product. What’s one of the best ways to get people to take action? By using an action word in your call to action.

Here are some of the best ones:

1. Start
2. Stop
3. Build
4. Grow
5. Join
6. Learn
7. Discover
8. Get
9. Download
10. Add to cart
11. Try
12. Find
13. Save

Related: How to write a strong call to action for your website + free cheat sheet

 See how Blue Apron uses the action word “discover” to get their website visitors to take the next step.

Words that convey urgency

How many times have you seen an offer or product online, decided to wait a few days to think about whether it’s really worth it, and never returned to get it? Your website and blog visitors do this all the time, even if your call to action doesn’t involve getting them to buy something.

How can you get them to stop waiting and take action now? Induce FOMO (fear of missing out). Give your audience the feeling that if they don’t scoop up your offer now, they’ll miss out on something valuable.

Here are the best words to include in your call to action to induce FOMO and convey urgency:

1. Only X days left
2. Offer ends on “date”
3. Ends
4. Ends tomorrow
5. Limited
6. Closing soon
7. Expires soon
8. Limited supply
9. While supplies last
10. Limited time only
11. Only a few left
12. Today only
13. Last chance
14. Hurry
15. Immediately
16. Now
17. Soon
18. One-time offer
19. Deadline
20. Before

Fitbit conveys urgency in this call to action by including an end date for its Black Friday sale.

Words that convey exclusivity

What’s another tried-and-true way to get your audience to respond to your call to action? Make them feel special or give them an opportunity to be part of something exclusive.

Are you offering a promo code that’s only available to your subscribers? Are you opening up a small number of seats in your exclusive mastermind group? Let your website and blog visitors know that they can take advantage of something that isn’t available to everyone if they act now.

Use these words in your call to action to convey exclusivity:

1. Invitation
2. Request an invitation
3. Members only/Subscribers only
4. Membership
5. Only available to X
6. Pre-register/Pre-order
7. Limited spots
8. Exclusive
9. Access
10. Exclusive access
11. Secret
12. Featured
13. Advance
14. Special offer

This Black Friday call to action on Sephora’s website packs a powerful punch by combining the power of exclusivity and urgency.

 

Need some help writing powerful calls to action your audience can’t resist?

Download my 80 free call-to-action templates for websites, blogs, and social media.

Words that convey value

You want your website or blog visitors to help you sell more products, make more money, or grow your email list. But these aren’t the reasons why they click on your calls to action. They do it because they see something in it for them.

Increase the conversion rates of your calls to action by convincing your audience that there’s real value in what you have to offer them. Use these words to do it:

1. Proven
2. Safe
3. Results
4. Free
5. Free trial
6. Risk free
7. Obligation free
8. Guarantee

Related: The #1 website copywriting mistake most businesses make + free “about us” page template

See how CoSchedule conveys value in this call to action by describing the overall benefit users will experience and the fact that they can get started for free.

Words related to fears and frustrations

No one likes having problems they can’t solve. Your website or blog visitors aren’t any different. That’s why you can persuade them to take action by playing on their fears and frustrations.

In your call to action, first remind your audience of a problem they have. Then present your offer as the solution they can’t live without. Here are some of the best words you can use to tap into your audience’s fears and frustrations:

1. Tired
2. Sick
3. Worried
4. Confused
5. Troubled

See how the Think Creative Collective uses frustration to compel their audience to take action.

Words that make your call to action personal

Calls to action are all about getting your audience to take action so they can improve their lives in some way. That’s why you want to keep the focus on them in your call to action. How do you do that? Use words that make calls to action personal:

1. You/your
2. Me/my

Related: How to write a strong call to action for your website + free cheat sheet

Check out how Crazy Egg makes this call to action personal by using the word “your.”

Choose the right words for your call to action

Including calls to action on your website or blog is just half the battle in getting it to convert. You also need to ensure that your calls to action hook your audience and convince them to take action.

Use the 62 words we’ve outlined above to craft powerful calls to action that tap into the motives your audience has for buying, signing up, or subscribing. After all, when it comes to calls to action, including just the right words makes the world of a difference.

Need some help writing powerful calls to action your audience can’t resist?

Download my 80 free call-to-action templates for websites, blogs, and social media.