The Button That Lost 40% of Enquiries
A broker we worked with had a landing page that looked polished. Clean design, strong messaging, good imagery. But conversions sat at 1.2%, well below the 3-4% we typically see for similar campaigns. The issue wasn't the offer or the copy. It was a single button labelled "Submit" tucked below a contact form, the same grey as the footer text.
We changed the button to read "Book My Free Call", made it orange against the blue theme, and moved it above the fold with a duplicate at the end of the page. Conversions jumped to 4.8% within two weeks. Same traffic source, same audience, same offer. The only change was how we asked people to act.
Buttons are the hinge between interest and action. If they fail, everything before them fails too.
What Makes a Button Work on a Landing Page
A high-performing button combines three elements: contrast, clarity, and urgency. Contrast means the button stands out visually from everything around it. Clarity means the label tells visitors exactly what happens when they click. Urgency means the wording suggests a reason to act now rather than later.
In the example above, "Submit" offered none of these. It blended in, gave no context, and created no momentum. "Book My Free Call" did all three. The colour contrast drew the eye, the wording removed ambiguity, and the word "free" lowered the barrier to action.
For brokers, buttons typically fall into two categories: soft conversions like "Get My Rate" or "Download the Guide", and hard conversions like "Book an Appointment" or "Start My Application". Soft conversions work well at the top of the funnel when trust hasn't been established. Hard conversions suit landing pages built for warmer traffic, such as referrals or retargeting campaigns.
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Button Placement Determines Who Sees It
The first button should appear within the first screen of content, before any scrolling. This is non-negotiable. Visitors who land on your page and don't see a clear next step within three seconds will leave.
Consider a broker running a first home buyer campaign. The landing page opens with a headline and a short paragraph explaining the offer. Below that, a button reading "Check My Eligibility" sits centred on the page. Visitors who want to act immediately can do so without hunting. Those who need more convincing scroll down to read case studies and FAQs, then encounter the same button repeated at natural break points.
Repetition matters. A single button at the bottom of a long page assumes every visitor reads every word. Most don't. Place buttons at the end of each major section so visitors can convert whenever they're ready. We typically use three to four buttons on a standard landing page: one above the fold, one or two mid-page after key selling points, and one at the end.
Avoid clustering multiple buttons together unless they serve distinct purposes. If you offer both a call booking and a document download, separate them visually and explain what each delivers.
Why Button Copy Needs to Be Specific
Generic labels like "Learn More" or "Click Here" perform poorly because they don't tell visitors what they're committing to. Specific labels like "Book a 15-Minute Call" or "Get Pre-Approved Today" set expectations and reduce hesitation.
In our experience, first-person phrasing outperforms third-person. "Start My Application" converts better than "Start Your Application" because it puts the visitor in control. The psychological difference is small but measurable.
Action words matter too. "Book", "Get", "Download", and "Start" all create forward momentum. Passive phrases like "Find Out More" or "Learn About" lack urgency and often get ignored.
For brokers building landing pages around specific services, the button should reflect the service. A refinancing campaign might use "Calculate My Savings", while a first home buyer page could say "See What I Can Borrow". The tighter the connection between the page content and the button, the higher the conversion rate.
This connects directly to your broader call to action strategy, which should be consistent across your entire site.
Size, Colour, and Shape Still Matter
Buttons need enough size to be immediately visible but not so large they feel aggressive. A good baseline is 48 pixels tall, wide enough to fit the label comfortably with padding on each side. Mobile users need larger touch targets, so test button size on a phone before finalising.
Colour should contrast sharply with the background. If your page uses blue, make the button orange or green. If your branding limits colour options, use white space around the button to create separation. Avoid red unless your audience associates it with urgency rather than warning.
Shape influences perception. Rounded corners feel approachable and modern. Sharp corners feel formal and direct. Neither is wrong, but the choice should align with the tone of your page. A landing page targeting investors might suit sharp edges, while a first home buyer page benefits from softer design.
Shadows and gradients can add depth, but overuse makes buttons look dated. A subtle drop shadow lifts the button off the page without distracting from the label. Flat design works well if the contrast is strong enough on its own.
These details sit within the broader scope of mortgage broker website design, where every element works together to guide visitors toward action.
Testing What Actually Converts
If your landing page gets fewer than 100 visitors per month, testing button variations won't produce reliable data. Focus on the fundamentals first: contrast, clarity, placement. Once traffic increases, split testing becomes useful.
Start by testing button copy. Run two versions of the same page, one with "Book a Call" and one with "Get Started". Send equal traffic to each and measure which converts better over two to four weeks. Small traffic volumes need longer testing windows to account for variance.
Colour is the next variable to test, followed by placement. Avoid testing multiple elements simultaneously unless you have significant traffic, as this dilutes the data and makes it harder to isolate what worked.
In a scenario where a broker had landing pages for three different services, each page used a different button colour based on gut feel rather than testing. Green for home loans, blue for refinancing, orange for commercial. After running tests, orange outperformed on all three pages by 15-20%. The broker switched all buttons to orange and saw an immediate lift in conversions across the board.
How Buttons Fit Into Lead Generation
Buttons don't exist in isolation. They're the final step in a sequence that starts with the headline, moves through the value proposition, addresses objections, and ends with the ask. If earlier elements fail, even a perfect button won't save the page.
That said, a weak button will kill an otherwise strong page. Visitors who are convinced by your offer still need a clear, low-friction path to act. The button provides that path.
For brokers focused on lead generation for mortgage brokers, buttons are where interest becomes measurable action. Every click represents a visitor moving from passive consumption to active engagement. Optimising that transition is one of the highest-leverage improvements you can make to a landing page.
Call one of our team or book an appointment at a time that works for you. We'll walk through your current landing pages, identify what's holding back conversions, and show you exactly what needs to change.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should a landing page button say?
A landing page button should clearly state what happens when clicked, using action words and first-person phrasing. Examples include "Book My Free Call", "Check My Eligibility", or "Calculate My Savings" rather than generic labels like "Submit" or "Learn More".
How many buttons should appear on a landing page?
A landing page should include three to four buttons: one above the fold, one or two after key selling points, and one at the end. This allows visitors to convert whenever they're ready without needing to scroll through the entire page.
What colour works best for call-to-action buttons?
The best button colour is one that contrasts sharply with your page background. If your page uses blue, orange or green typically performs well. Test different colours once you have sufficient traffic, as the optimal choice varies by audience and design.
How large should a landing page button be?
Buttons should be at least 48 pixels tall with enough width to fit the label comfortably plus padding. Mobile users need larger touch targets, so always test button size on a phone before finalising your design.
When should I test different button variations?
Start testing button variations once your landing page receives at least 100 visitors per month. Begin with button copy, then test colour and placement. Run each test for two to four weeks to account for traffic variance.
