Why CTA Button Design Matters More Than You Think
Your CTA button is the last step between a visitor and an enquiry. A poorly designed button makes people hesitate. A well-designed one removes friction and increases conversions, sometimes by 20% or more without changing anything else on your site.
Consider a broker who launched a new website with rich content, strong SEO for mortgage brokers, and clear service pages. The site attracted good visitor numbers but generated fewer enquiries than expected. The problem was a CTA button that said "Submit" in small grey text on a white background. After redesigning it to say "Book a Free Call" in a high-contrast colour with 20px of padding, enquiry submissions jumped by 34% in the first month. Same visitors, same content, different button.
What Makes a CTA Button Work
A high-converting CTA button needs three elements: visibility, clarity, and trust. Visibility means the button stands out from the surrounding content through colour contrast and size. Clarity means the text tells people exactly what happens when they click. Trust means the action feels safe and low-commitment.
In our experience, buttons that use action words perform better than vague labels. "Book Your Free Strategy Call" converts better than "Get Started" because it tells people what they're getting. "Call Our Team" converts better than "Contact Us" because it feels more direct and human. The button text should match the value proposition you've just explained in the content above it.
Colour and Contrast: Making Your Button Impossible to Miss
Your CTA button colour should contrast sharply with your site's background and surrounding elements. If your site uses blue and white as primary colours, an orange or green button will stand out. If your site is dark, a bright yellow or white button creates visual separation.
The contrast ratio between your button and background should be at least 4.5:1 for accessibility, but aim for 7:1 or higher for maximum visibility. This isn't just about aesthetics. A button that blends into the page gets ignored. A button that jumps out gets clicked.
Avoid using multiple CTA button colours across your site. Pick one primary colour for all conversion actions and use it consistently. This trains visitors to recognise that colour as the action point. If every page has a different button colour, you're starting from scratch each time.
Button Size and Placement: Getting the Fundamentals Right
Your CTA button should be large enough to click easily on mobile devices. A minimum touch target of 44x44 pixels is recommended, but most high-converting buttons are larger, typically 48-60 pixels in height with generous padding on the sides.
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Place your primary CTA button above the fold on key pages like your homepage and service pages. Above the fold means visible without scrolling. If someone has to scroll to find your contact button, you're relying on their patience rather than good design.
You should also repeat your CTA at the end of longer content. If someone reads through an entire article about first home buyer loans, they've demonstrated interest. Put another clear CTA at the bottom so they don't have to scroll back up or search for your contact page.
Button Text: What to Say and What to Avoid
Your button text should start with a verb and describe the outcome. "Book a Free Call", "Get Your Free Assessment", "Request a Callback", and "Speak to a Broker" all work because they're specific and action-oriented.
Avoid generic phrases like "Learn More", "Click Here", or "Submit". These don't communicate value or outcome. Also avoid corporate language like "Request Information" or "Commence Application". People don't talk like that, and your button shouldn't either.
Keep button text short, ideally three to five words. Longer text makes the button harder to scan and looks cluttered, especially on mobile. If you can't fit your message in five words, your value proposition probably needs work before your button does.
Hover States and Mobile Responsiveness
Your button should respond when someone hovers over it on desktop. A subtle colour change or slight lift effect confirms the button is interactive. Without this feedback, people sometimes hesitate, unsure if the element is clickable.
On mobile, your button should be even larger and positioned where thumbs naturally rest. Most people hold their phone in one hand and use their thumb to navigate. Buttons placed in the centre or lower third of the screen are easier to reach than buttons at the top.
Test your buttons on actual mobile devices, not just browser inspection tools. The experience is different when you're tapping with a thumb versus clicking with a mouse. Buttons that feel fine on desktop can be frustratingly small or poorly positioned on mobile.
Secondary CTAs: When and How to Use Them
Not every visitor is ready to book a call or start an application. Secondary CTAs offer a lower-commitment option for people who want more information first. These might include "Download Our Guide", "Check Rates", or "Use Our Calculator".
Style your secondary CTA differently from your primary button. If your primary CTA is a solid orange button, make your secondary CTA an outlined button in the same colour or a text link. This creates visual hierarchy and guides people towards the primary action while still offering an alternative.
Don't clutter your page with too many CTAs. One primary action and one optional secondary action per page is enough. More than that creates decision paralysis. When everything is important, nothing is important.
Testing What Actually Works for Your Audience
What works for one website doesn't always work for another. The best way to optimise your CTA buttons is to test variations with real visitors. Change one element at a time, whether that's colour, text, size, or placement, and measure the impact on enquiry submissions.
As an example, one broker tested two versions of their homepage CTA. Version A used "Get Started Today" on a blue button. Version B used "Book Your Free Strategy Call" on an orange button. Version B generated 28% more enquiries over a four-week period. The change wasn't magic, it was specificity and contrast working together.
Don't test for the sake of testing. Focus on buttons that sit on high-traffic pages like your homepage, service pages, and popular blog articles. These are where small improvements create the biggest impact. A 10% improvement on a page that gets five visitors per month barely matters. The same improvement on a page getting 500 visitors changes your pipeline.
Integrating CTA Design Into Your Overall Website Strategy
Your CTA buttons are part of a larger conversion system. Even the best-designed button won't work if your content hasn't built trust or explained why someone should take action. The button is the final step, not the whole strategy.
If you're building or upgrading a broker website, mortgage broker website design needs to consider CTA placement from the start, not as an afterthought. The same applies to lead generation for mortgage brokers, where the quality of your CTAs directly affects how many visitors convert into enquiries.
Your call to action strategy should extend beyond just button design to include the messaging around each CTA, the timing of when CTAs appear, and how they connect to your follow-up process. A button that says "Book a Free Call" only works if booking is actually easy and the call delivers value.
If your website isn't generating the enquiries you expected, your CTA buttons are one of the first elements worth reviewing. Small changes create measurable results, and unlike content or SEO, button design improvements show up fast. Call one of our team or book an appointment at a time that works for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
What colour should my CTA button be?
Your CTA button should use a colour that contrasts sharply with your website's background and surrounding content. Aim for a contrast ratio of at least 7:1 for maximum visibility. Pick one primary button colour and use it consistently across your entire site.
How big should a CTA button be?
Your CTA button should be at least 44x44 pixels for mobile accessibility, but most high-converting buttons are 48-60 pixels in height with generous padding on the sides. The button needs to be large enough to tap easily on mobile devices without accidentally clicking nearby elements.
What should my CTA button text say?
CTA button text should start with a verb and describe the specific outcome, like "Book a Free Call" or "Get Your Free Assessment". Avoid generic phrases like "Learn More" or "Submit" that don't communicate clear value or action.
Should I have multiple CTA buttons on one page?
Use one primary CTA button and optionally one secondary CTA per page. Too many CTAs create decision paralysis and reduce conversions. Your primary button should be visually dominant, with secondary CTAs styled differently to create clear hierarchy.
Where should I place CTA buttons on my website?
Place your primary CTA button above the fold on key pages so visitors see it without scrolling. Repeat the CTA at the end of longer content for visitors who read through. On mobile, position buttons where thumbs naturally rest in the centre or lower third of the screen.
