In the field of marketing and advertising, we often overlook the importance of CTA (Call to Action) buttons. However, in reality, CTA buttons often determine the conversion rate. A clear CTA button can attract visitors to take action, thereby increasing conversion rates and return on investment. CTA usually refers to the copy or button used in promotional content to guide the audience to perform specific actions. It is a way to emphasize and encourage the audience to take specific actions, such as purchasing a product, subscribing to a mailing list, downloading a file, registering as a member, clicking a link, etc.
The purpose of a CTA is to attract the target audience’s attention and prompt them to interact with the brand, product, or service, thereby achieving marketing goals and improving conversion rates. Common CTA words and phrases include “Buy Now,” “Register Now,” “Free Trial,” “Learn More,” “Act Now,” “Click Here,” etc. By carefully designing and writing CTA copy, user engagement can be increased, and conversion rates and sales can be improved.
Here, we use Duolingo as an example. Duolingo primarily relies on in-app purchases. From the first quarter of 2017 to the fourth quarter of 2023, Duolingo’s in-app purchase revenue showed different trends based on regions. In Q4 2023, mobile app revenue in North America and Latin America exceeded $48 million, an increase of 21% compared to the previous quarter. Europe, the Middle East, and Africa were the second-largest regional markets for the popular language learning app, with IAP (In-App Purchase) revenue of approximately $28 million in the same period. From 2017 to the end of 2023, Duolingo’s IAP revenue in the Asia-Pacific region experienced moderate but steady growth, reaching nearly $12 million in the last quarter.
However, the reasons why Duolingo excels in subscriptions include:
Learning Experience
Duolingo offers a rich and diverse language learning experience with courses, exercises, quizzes, and features that allow interaction with other learners.
Free Trial
A free trial period allows users to experience the product before committing to a paid subscription, helping them understand its value and increasing the likelihood of conversion.
Personalized Learning
Personalized content and suggestions based on users’ learning progress and interests make users feel valued, enhancing engagement and loyalty.
Pricing Strategy
Duolingo offers relatively low subscription prices and various subscription options, including monthly, yearly, and family plans. This flexible pricing strategy meets different users’ needs, increasing conversion rates.
Continuous Updates and Improvements
Duolingo continuously updates and improves its product, offering new courses, features, and experiences. This ongoing improvement maintains user interest and engagement while attracting new users.
In addition to providing a strong learning experience, free trials, personalized learning, flexible pricing strategies, and continuous updates and improvements, Duolingo also makes adjustments and tests its CTA copy on the subscription page. To observe the commonalities across different categories, we compiled the CTA copy of the top 10 apps in each category on the App Store into an Excel sheet, looking for differences and commonalities.
Common CTAs for Apps Offering Free Trials:
- The most common CTAs use “Start” as the verb and mention “Free”. Only 20% use first or second-person pronouns (my, your).
- Examples: “Start Free Trial,” “Start Free for 7 Days”
Common CTAs for Apps Without Free Trials:
- Short and action-oriented, typically 1-2 words. 45% of CTAs consist of a single word, and 85% are three words or fewer.
- Examples: “Subscribe,” “Continue,” “Subscribe Now”
Free Trial Offers
- Common Verbs: “Start” is dominant, appearing in 40% of CTAs, indicating the beginning of usage. Another common verb is “Try”.
- Word Count: 90% of CTAs are five words or fewer, with 40% using four words or fewer, balancing brevity with detail.
- Mentioning “Free”: Over 80% of app CTAs mention “Free” or “$0” to emphasize the no-cost aspect.
- Additional Notes: Time-limited offers appear in 25% of CTAs, emphasizing limited availability and prompting quick action.
Common CTAs for Apps Without Free Trials
Common Verb Usage:
- “Continue” is used in 30% of CTAs, indicating progression.
- “Subscribe” is used in 25% of CTAs, indicating a commitment.
Word Count:
- Shorter CTAs are becoming a trend, with 85% being three words or fewer. Specifically:
- 26% use three words,
- 14% use two words,
- 45% use one word.
Pricing Information:
- Clearly stating pricing is not very common but still significant, accounting for 20%, indicating an emphasis on transparency.
Common Characteristics
Personalization:
- “My” is used in only 10% of free trial CTAs, indicating that creating a sense of ownership and personal benefit is not the biggest driving factor.
Action-Oriented Language:
- Imperative verbs are a constant in all CTAs, used to drive users to take immediate action.
Clear Value Proposition:
- 100% of CTAs maintain clarity in their value proposition, whether it’s a trial, subscription, or clear pricing.
Best Practices for Writing CTA Copy
For Free Trials:
- The “Start 7-day free trial” four-word structure is the most common pattern, used by 30% of the top 100 apps.
For Non-Free Trials:
- The most common pattern is short, action-oriented CTAs with 1-2 words, such as “Continue” or “Subscribe now.”
Pricing Transparency:
- Displaying pricing in the CTA is advantageous and important when the price point is a key part of the value proposition (e.g., limited-time offers), as shown by 20% of non-free trial apps.
Urgency and Exclusivity:
- Including time limits or exclusivity in the CTA, as seen in 25% of free trial CTAs, enhances conversion rates by creating a sense of urgency.
By incorporating these practices, you can write effective CTA copy that drives higher engagement and conversion rates.
