Is there an ideal button color to increase conversions? Red, orange, green, or blue? HubSpot claims red beats green:
This study on CTA button color is highly regarded. The research analyzed conversions from 2,000 landing page visitors to see if there was a performance difference between the two button colors. Surprisingly, the red CTA button outperformed the green one by an impressive 21%. Does this mean red buttons are the key to successful web design? Unbounce, a leader in is concerned, believes the future of web design and optimization is BOB: Big Orange Button. A Wider Funnel test supported this idea, revealing that a Big Orange Button boosted conversions by 32.5%. Unbounce states, “According to Wikipedia, Orange represents energy, enthusiasm, and a ‘get-it-done’ attitude. Sounds like a call to action to me.” What could be more persuasive than a CTA button color that encourages you to “get it done”? Really Good Emails took a different an entirely different: it examined every email it received in a specific year to determine what made them stand out and what they had in common. Really Good Emails found that blue was the most popular and effective CTA button color. Dmix favors red!
While Monetate says blue surpasses orange!
I could continue, but you get the point. Some CRO experts swear by specific button colors. Instead of focusing solely on button color, I believe the context of the button (your web design) matters most. Here are five crucial web design errors that hinder conversions, regardless of your CTA button color.
1. Using CTA colors that don’t pop
One of the biggest web design blunders you can make on your landing pages is using a CTA button color that blends in. Let’s revisit the HubSpot research:
When you examine the image closely, something becomes obvious: the green button doesn’t stand out against the site’s design. Green dominates the site’s color scheme and background. Green is the second most used color on the page, after black. As a result, users are accustomed to seeing green and are more likely to overlook it. However, the bright orange CTA button on this page comparing VPS services contrasts sharply with the site’s blue color scheme – and that’s what counts.
This aligns with a psychological concept known as sensory adaptation. While it doesn’t specifically discuss color psychology, it does address stimuli and our responses to them. This principle suggests that repeated exposure to a stimulus causes us to gradually tune it out until we no longer perceive it. Consider what happens when you wear clothing or shoes. You feel them at first, but then they become like an extension of your body. Similarly, when you submerge your hands in warm water, it initially feels hot, but your hands adjust, and the sensation fades. This is sensory adaptation in action, a fundamental principle to grasp in web design and conversion rate optimization. We are wired to react similarly to repeated stimuli, whether noise or button color, and begin ignoring them. Before you begin testing button colors, remember that a color that stands out, whether red or orange, will always outperform one that blends in. Therefore, always design your website so that your button color contrasts with your color scheme.
2. Creating buttons that are either too small or too large
Similar to CTA button color, the size of your CTA must be appropriate and appealing. Another frequent web design error is making buttons that are too small or too large. Let’s revisit the WiderFunnel test, which resulted in a 32.5% increase in conversions by using the “Big Orange Button.” Clearly, the button size significantly impacted the conversion rate increase.
An article on call to action button best practices suggests that a CTA button 20% larger than the logo is a good rule of thumb. How much does CTA button size matter? It’s important but not everything. Your CTA button should be large enough to stand out from other elements on your page. However, making it too large, to the point where it negatively affects your web design and UX, can backfire, particularly in today’s mobile-first world, and lead to a decrease in conversions.
Therefore, size is crucial for CTAs: It must be large enough to be noticeable and attention-grabbing, but not so large that it hinders user experience.
Free guide >> 3. Disregarding your target audience’s color preferences
Another significant web design error, besides using blending CTA colors, is ignoring your audience’s color preferences for your CTA and overall landing page color scheme. Consider two websites: one targeting cyclists who enjoy risk-taking and another targeting yogis seeking peace and tranquility. Due to the significant difference in target audiences, the colors that appeal to each will differ. Research indicates that the color of your web design can impact people’s willingness to engage with your brand. One study discovered that people make decisions about interacting with a website within 90 seconds, with color influencing up to 90% of that decision. Typically, men and women have different color preferences. A color that resonates with a male audience may not be as effective for a female audience, which is important to remember. The chart below illustrates typical color preferences for men and women:
This chart displays color dislikes:
4. Not prioritizing user flow
What is user flow? Simply put, it’s the steps a user takes to complete a specific task on a website. Effective web design and conversion optimization must consider user flow. Moz observed that when users were prompted to “schedule a demo,” they had to interrupt their current task, consult their calendar, and find an available time slot that matched the company’s schedule. This disruption to user flow impacted conversions. Moz simplified the process by changing the CTA from “Schedule a Demo Today!” to “FREE 5 Min Demo Video,” eliminating the need for calendar checks. Consequently, user flow improved, and conversions skyrocketed by a remarkable 739%. Successful web design and CRO involve more than just getting users to click a button; it’s about converting visitors into leads and leads into paying customers. This means looking beyond the landing page and focusing on the subscription and checkout pages as well. Any action that causes users to stop, even momentarily, while completing the goal you’ve set for them on your website is a fundamental web design flaw because it disrupts their flow and reduces conversions. This could be due to the design and layout of your website – there is no point in straying from user expectations on your website. Numerous studies demonstrate that adding extra form fields disrupts user flow and negatively affects conversions. As a result, eliminate any superfluous form fields from your website. Only request the essential information you need for users to take immediate action – you can gradually gather other necessary details later.
5. Overlooking trust factors that enhance your credibility
CRO studies often highlight a major brand implementing a specific conversion tactic with impressive results. However, when you attempt to incorporate the same strategy into your web design, you see no improvement, or worse, your conversions decline. After all, with the resources Amazon (or your preferred large company) invests in conversions, if they’re employing a specific tactic, it must be effective, right? Not necessarily. Your lack of results doesn’t automatically invalidate the experiment: you might be viewing it in isolation when other factors are at play. To be clear: You could have the most enticing offer, exceptional copy, and implement all the recommendations in this article, but it won’t make a difference if people don’t trust you. In an environment saturated with scams, people are cautious about who they provide their credit card information to, and even their email address. Conversion optimization tactics will have minimal impact if people lack trust in you. Consequently, one of the most common web design errors is neglecting to improve trust factors. Simple changes like incorporating a trust seal can double your conversions – as many as 48% of people hesitate to trust websites without one.
Studies show that merely activating SSL can increase sales by up to 30%. Take proactive steps to build trust with visitors to your landing page:
- Incorporate trust marks and secure seals to assure users of their security on your website.
- Use SSL – display that reassuring green padlock!
- Leverage social proof whenever feasible to reinforce the idea that they’re not taking a risk by engaging with you; they’re joining a community of satisfied customers.
- Make it effortless for visitors to contact you on your website.
Keep in Mind: Your CRO outcomes may differ
Ultimately, it’s crucial to acknowledge that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to conversion rate optimization. Tactics that work for other businesses may not necessarily work for you. However, you can review your website and avoid these critical web design errors.