This tutorial will walk you through a surprising little trick that I discovered during one summer that I dedicated entirely to split-testing buttons. Let me show you how to write buttons that are more likely to get good, quality clicks and lots of them.

We’ve done loads of tutorials on writing buttons, also known as “calls to action” and “calls to value.” So check those out, too. This is your tutorial of the week. To use it, block 30 minutes in your calendar to watch it. It does not have to be today. Invite your team to join you. Watch it together. Create action items, and do the work I show you. Open the right tool for the job, like your CMS, right now. And let’s get going. 

So back when I ran that summer of buttons testing initiative, we had this one fashion startup we were working with. The startup’s tech let you find clothing that best fit your body’s unique shape. We tried a few different split tests where we optimize the primary CTA on the home page, using the playbook of better practices. And although our variations were performing well, they weren’t reaching statistical confidence, which is really weird for a button test. 

And then, for some reason– I do not remember why– we decided to mirror the copy from the headline in the primary CTA. We hit Publish on the test in Optimizely, and days later, our new button had beat the control with statistical confidence. Let me show you how we managed to finally beat the control by matching our headline with our button copy. 

Let’s start with a really pretty clean example. So what we want to do is change this language, “Give Basecamp a Try,” which isn’t in the headline or anywhere really near the headline. We want to take what’s in the headline and match it in the button copy. So the all-in-one toolkit for working remotely doesn’t naturally get there. But we can use the word “try” or “get” in order to get our prospect to understand the value and connect the two. 

OK, so that’s the same thing as what’s here. And we’re still saying “try.” You could also say “get the all-in-one toolkit,” “get the toolkit,” “get the tool kit for working remotely.” Any of those variations would do and would be following this rule. 

Now here, on the home page for Real Vision, the headline at this time is 7 days for $1. And then start your trial is below and this– that’s the CTA. And it’s a strong disconnect. I have no reason to believe that seven days for $1 is a trial. You haven’t said that to me before. I am being forced to figure that out myself. 

And, again, that might feel like, well who couldn’t figure that out. That’s the kind of thing that reduces clicks, not because a person isn’t a good prospect, but because they just don’t understand. So we need to take seven days for $1 and reflect it in our button. So we could do “Start your $1 seven-day trial,” or “Start your seven-day trial, or “Get seven days of access for $1.” 

So now we have “7 days for $1,” “Get 7 days of access for $1.” It’s a strong match, and we’re reflecting the value of that offer that’s in the headline right there in the button. So now, I’m more likely to really understand what’s going to happen when I move forward, instead of something completely different from what brought me in in the first place. 

Your task now is to choose a page, like your home page, and mirror either the first few words of the headline or the value-focused words from the headline in your button copy. Now what’s tricky, here, is if your headline is garbage, reflecting it in your CTA is unlikely to increase conversions, which means now is a good time to work on your headline, too. 

If you love this and want more, we’ve got you. The next logical step is to take “Master of Headlines,” our quick action program that’s available for a startup-friendly price. Use it to write, rewrite, or optimize headlines on any page of your site so you can reduce bounce and increase engagement.