Clear CTAs and the danger of giving users too many options

Mendel Kurland
Mendel KurlandHelping to bring a new generation of kickass GoDaddy products to, developers, designers, and web professionals.
CREATING CLEAR
CTAS
AHHH EUROPE.
Clear CTAs and the danger of giving users too many options
Clear CTAs and the danger of giving users too many options
[PICTURE OF
CLOTHING]
[PICTURE OF
CLOTHING]
[PICTURE OF
CLOTHING]
[PICTURE OF
CLOTHING]
AND THEN, THIS.
9
Clear CTAs and the danger of giving users too many options
Clear CTAs and the danger of giving users too many options
WHAT WAS I
SUPPOSED TO DO?
12
HOW WAS I
SUPPOSED TO GET
OUT?
13
OMG, THAT PERSON
IS RUNNING!
14
15
THE SIGN WASN’T
PREDICTABLE
16
MORE ON THAT IN A
SECOND…
17
I’M
MENDEL
18
Community outreach at GoDaddy
From Austin, Texas
Passionate about community,
business, development, and travel
Blogs frequently at mendel.me
@ifyouwillit on Twitter
THE FOUNDATION OF
CTAS
19
MY WORKING
THEORY OF
WEBSITES
20
1. WEBSITES
REPRESENT THE
OFFLINE WORLD
21
22
23
2. COMMUNICATION
SYSTEMS ARE BUILT
IN THE OFFLINE
WORLD
24
3. SYSTEMS HAVE
RULES
25
26
4. THEREFORE,
RULES OF SYSTEMS
ALSO APPLY TO
WEBSITES
27
MY WORKING THEORY OF WEBSITES
28
• Websites represent the OFFLINE world
• Communication systems are built in the
OFFLINE world
• Systems have rules
• Therefore, rules of systems also apply to
websites
A WEBSITE IS A
COMMUNICATION
TOOL
29
WEBSITE
COMMUNICATION
SHOULD END WITH
ACTION
30
CTA 

= 

ASKING FOR
ACTION
31
HOW TO BUILD A
CTA
32
COMMUNICATING ACTIONS THROUGH THE WEB
33
Based on a business / org vision, cause, or mission
Communicate the vision, cause, or
mission
Make it easy for a user to take
contextually relevant action.
Clear CTAs and the danger of giving users too many options
COMMUNICATING ACTIONS THROUGH THE WEB - EX.
35
MISSION: To democratize publishing through Open
Source, GPL software
WordPress is web software you can use
to create a beautiful website, blog, or app.
Download WordPress
COMMUNICATING ACTIONS THROUGH THE WEB
36
Communicate the vision, cause, or
mission
Make it easy for a user to take
contextually relevant action.
Based on a business / org vision, cause, or mission
ANOTHER STORY
ABOUT SIGNS
37
38
IOWA CITY 

NEXT 3 EXITS
39
IOWA CITY

### CORALVILLE
### CAMPUS / DORMS

### HIGHWAY ACCESS
40
IOWA CITY

### CORALVILLE
### CAMPUS / DORMS

### HIGHWAY ACCESS
Exit numbers
are actionable
41
IOWA CITY

CORALVILLE
CAMPUS / DORMS

HIGHWAY ACCESS
42
IOWA CITY

### CORALVILLE
### CAMPUS / DORMS

### HIGHWAY ACCESS
Gives context (it’s an exit)
Green makes it discoverable
Exit numbers
are actionable
43
IOWA CITY EXITS

### CORALVILLE
### CITY CENTER

### HIGHWAY ACCESS
44
IOWA CITY

### CORALVILLE
### CAMPUS / DORMS

### HIGHWAY ACCESS
Gives context (it’s an exit)
Green makes it discoverable Is predictable
Exit numbers
are actionable
45
IOWA CITY

### CORALVILLE
### CAMPUS / DORMS

### HIGHWAY ACCESS
46
IOWA CITY

### CORALVILLE
### CAMPUS / DORMS

### HIGHWAY ACCESS
Gives context (it’s an exit)
Green makes it discoverable Is predictable
Exit numbers
are actionable
Provides a clear path
47
IOWA CITY

###
###
###
48
IOWA CITY

### CORALVILLE
### CAMPUS / DORMS

### HIGHWAY ACCESS
Gives context (it’s an exit)
Green makes it discoverable Is predictable
Exit numbers
are actionable
Provides a clear path
TO BE OPTIMAL,
YOUR CTA SHOULD
BE…
49
ACTIONABLE
50
ACTIONABLE
51
• Is the action stated?
• Is the action clear / direct?
• Is the completion of the action
measurable?
52
IOWA CITY

### CORALVILLE
### CAMPUS / DORMS

### HIGHWAY ACCESS
Exit numbers
are actionable
53
IOWA CITY

CORALVILLE
CAMPUS / DORMS

HIGHWAY ACCESS
“Download” is
actionable
GET IN ON IT
GET IN ON IT
DISCOVERABLE
56
DISCOVERABLE
57
• Is it visually enticing?
• Does it stand out?
• Does the rest of the page ‘lead’
to the action?
58
IOWA CITY EXITS

XXX CORALVILLE
XXX CITY CENTER

XXX HIGHWAY ACCESS
Gives context (it’s an exit)
Green makes it discoverable
Exit numbers
are actionable
59
IOWA CITY EXITS

XXX CORALVILLE
XXX CITY CENTER

XXX HIGHWAY ACCESS
“Download” is
actionable
Blue color is
discoverable
DOWNLOAD WORDPRESS
DOWNLOAD WORDPRESS
PREDICTABLE
62
PREDICTABLE
63
• Does it look like a link or
button?
• Does it fit within the context of
the content?
• Is it in the expected place?
64
IOWA CITY

### CORALVILLE
### CAMPUS / DORMS

### HIGHWAY ACCESS
Gives context (it’s an exit)
Green makes it discoverable Is predictable
Exit numbers
are actionable
65
IOWA CITY

### CORALVILLE
### CAMPUS / DORMS

### HIGHWAY ACCESS
55
66
55
67
55I55
“Download” is
actionable
Blue color is
discoverable
It looks like
something you
should click -
predictable
DOWNLOAD
NOW
DOWNLOAD
NOW
DOWNLOAD
CLEAR
71
CLEAR
72
• Is the path to complete the CTA
expected?
• Is the path frictionless?
• Are there few enough options?
MORE ISN’T ALWAYS
BETTER!
73
SHEENA IYENGAR
MARK LEPPER
2000
74
TASTE 24 VARIETIES
OF JAM, GET $1 OFF
75
TASTE 6 VARIETIES
OF JAM, GET $1 OFF
76
THE RESULT
77
WOAH! 10X?!
78
79
IOWA CITY

### CORALVILLE
### CAMPUS / DORMS

### HIGHWAY ACCESS
Gives context (it’s an exit)
Green makes it discoverable Is predictable
Exit numbers
are actionable
Provides a clear path
80
IOWA CITY

### CORALVILLE
### CAMPUS / DORMS

### HIGHWAY ACCESS
### TO CALIFORNIA
### TO NEW YORK
### TO MINNESOTA
### KANSAS CITY
“Download” is
actionable
Blue color is
discoverable
Only one version
option - clear
path
It looks like
something you
should click -
predictable
DOWNLOAD 4.1
DOWNLOAD 4.0
DOWNLOAD 3.9
DOWNLOAD
“Download” is
actionable
Blue color is
discoverable
Only one version
option - clear
path
It looks like
something you
should click -
predictable
ACTIONABLE
84
DISCOVERABLE
85
PREDICTABLE
86
CLEAR
87
88
I’M
MENDEL
@ifyouwillit
mendel.me/presentations
I’M
MENDEL
89
@ifyouwillit
mendel.me/presentations
1 of 89

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Clear CTAs and the danger of giving users too many options