Have your parents ever said to you "stop pushing my buttons"? This meant that you were doing exactly what you needed to do in order to get from them what you wanted or to create a certain response. This is how you should think about your web design. When someone visits your site, do they know exactly what to do in order to get to where they're going or obtain the information they are looking for? Are your buttons clear enough to leave no doubt in your visitors minds where they are going to take them?
Here are four easy steps to make sure your creating buttons that beg to be pushed.
1st- Prioritize
Design a single, clear, visually appealing and eye drawing call-to-action button on your main page. If you need more than one make sure you prioritize their importance by coloring the non-primary buttons in a color less visually interesting. (i.e. smaller, duller colors).
If you design two buttons side by side, keep in mind that the one on the right is proven to be the most likely to be clicked.
2nd- Experiment with Format
Play around with your different format options in order to see what works best for your site.
Some format options you may have are: Shape, Dimensionality, Color, Visual Embellishments, and Size. Remember to make your primary button radically larger and bright in an eye popping color.
3rd- Be Specific and Manage Expectations
Make sure your buttons always describe exactly what they will do when they are pushed. Try not to cause any confusion for your visitors when they are trying to figure out the opportunity presented by your button. Try to use a simple, standard vocabulary and don't try to be funny or cute for some of your audience may not follow. Always keep in mind that the internet is international and some viewers could be of different cultures or languages and may find it hard to understand unfamiliar expressions.
4th- Label From the Perspective of your Visitors
Try to always predict your visitors expectations by completing the sentence "I want to...". Examples of this would be "Start my free trial", "Get details", "Download" or "Select this plan". Never assume that a button that works on your competitors site will work for yours and always keep in mind that the only way to know what works best for your site is to test it.
