Six Ways Microcopy Can Make or Break Your Call-to-Action

26 February 2025 Natasha Lane

Conversion rate optimisation is a complex process that requires time, effort, and lots of resources.

After all, attracting web visitors to your website and engaging them with high-quality content and relevant value propositions is challenging enough. But even if you do all of this, you won't see the results you're after unless you use compelling calls-to-action (CTAs).

Yet, effective CTA design eludes most business owners (and even some professional web designers/developers).

Yes, you can fix a lot by paying attention to details. Color, contrast, and positioning all play a major role in encouraging conversions. Moreover, you can further enhance your site's conversion potential by using the right wording.

But, if you want to improve your existing CTA buttons — or prevent them from alienating potential customers due to a strong commercial focus — microcopy could be the best thing to concentrate on.

So, without further ado, here are the top ways microcopy can make or break your CTAs, along with some splendid examples to check out to learn how to get it right.

Addressing and Overcoming Brand Trust Issues

Getting people to convert is almost impossible if they don't trust you. Research shows that 9 out of 10 consumers consider brand trust before deciding whether to buy from a brand.

So, if you can use CTA microcopy to elevate brand (and product) trust, you can effectively maximise your chances of converting new customers by overcoming their trust issues.

To accomplish this, you need to understand your prospects' priorities. So, do your research and find out what can help you earn your prospects' confidence.

"So, do your research and find out what can help you earn your prospects' confidence."

Here are a few trust factors that might be stopping web visitors from converting:

Lack of transparency.
Privacy and security concerns.
Product quality.
Brand values.

For instance, knowing that your audience cares about data security and privacy, it might be a good idea to take inspiration from Destination Certification.

To enhance the effectiveness of its primary CTA, this brand uses microcopy to point out that customer "information will remain 100% private" as well as that they can "unsubscribe with 1 click."

Source: destcert.com

Or, check out how Bombas does it.

Knowing that its audience cares about the social and environmental impact of their buying decisions, this brand highlights that it donates a pair of socks for each purchase.

Source: bombas.com

Setting Customer Expectations

When exploring solutions to remove their pain points, consumers want to know what they can expect to receive. Unfortunately, however, this can be a challenging request to fulfill.

When selling complex solutions, offering multiple versions/tiers of the same product, or inviting prospects to sign up for a newsletter, your value propositions and CTA buttons may not provide sufficient space to communicate details.

Nevertheless, you can use microcopy to deliver some clarity and thus encourage web visitors to click those buttons and (hopefully) convert into customers or subscribers.

"...you can use microcopy to deliver some clarity and thus encourage web visitors to click those buttons..."

For instance, TLDR does this beautifully by inviting potential subscribers to "join 1,250,000 readers for one daily email."

The microcopy doesn't just elevate brand trust via social proof. It tells readers exactly what they can expect, ensuring they know what they're signing up for and preventing them from becoming frustrated by receiving more/less content than they wanted in the first place.

Source: tldr.tech

Handling Common Conversion Obstacles

One of the things to remember about CTA buttons is that, even if people click them, that doesn't necessarily guarantee a conversion — particularly in an ecommerce setting.

Just look at the cart abandonment data from the Baymard Institute. According to the organisation, 70.19% of online shoppers will fail to go through with a purchase even after having added products to their carts.

There are different reasons for this behavior. They range from too high extra costs to an unwillingness to create an account with the site to not trusting the brand with their credit card information to lack of price transparency.

Nevertheless, you can address and remove some of these common conversion obstacles with CTA microcopy.

"...you can address and remove some of these common conversion obstacles with CTA microcopy."

For instance, check out the SendGrid homepage. This brand uses microcopy to remove some of its target audience's most pressing conversion obstacles.

Firstly, it states that converting doesn't require a credit card. Secondly, it shows that customers can expect a quick onboarding process.

Finally, the brand points out that a conversion allows customers to unlock access to all of Twilio's products, which is an excellent method of communicating unexpected value and using it to inspire web visitors to convert.

Source: sendgrid.com

Supporting Claims With Proof

Social proof is a huge aspect of consumers' decision-making process. The latest research on its importance shows that almost all (99.75% of people) look for reviews and ratings before committing to a purchase.

"...almost all (99.75% of people) look for reviews and ratings before committing to a purchase."

So, if you're looking for tricks to help elevate your calls to action, why not enhance them with relevant social proof?

Something as simple as using microcopy to mention a product's star rating or number of reviews can be a simple yet effective method of boosting conversion rates. Armra does it beautifully on their Organic Colostrum page, pointing out the thousands of positive reviews its solutions have received.

Source: tryarmra.com

Boosting Product Understanding

Sometimes, the biggest conversion obstacle on your website isn't the lack of social proof or your audience's mistrust. Instead, it's their lack of product understanding.

Essentially, consumers want solutions that offer the maximum value for their money. Yet, if they don't get how your products/services work, they can't conclude that your offer is worth the investment.

With this in mind, one of the best ways to maximise your site's conversion potential is to explore ways to boost product understanding.

Naturally, the best way to accomplish this is with high-quality web content.

"...if they don't get how your products/services work, they can't conclude that your offer is worth the investment."

Whether you describe your solution's benefits with copy, video, or produce in-depth case studies to educate future customers on what they can expect from your brand is entirely up to you (and your content marketing budget). But, no matter what direction you choose to go in, don't forget to enhance your CTAs' conversion potential with a bit of microcopy.

Essentially, by using microcopy, you can present web visitors with the info they need to fully grasp the value of your offer. Moreover, you can help them get the most out of their purchase. Plus, you can give them the necessary guidance to ensure they're making the right buying decision for their specific needs.

"...by using microcopy, you can present web visitors with the info they need..."

For instance, if you check out CodaPet, you'll see that the brand uses microcopy to invite web visitors to read its FAQs.

On the surface, this may seem like an illogical choice, as the brand is guiding its prospects toward an informational resource instead of pushing them toward a conversion. But CodaPet knows how complex its services are.

And it also understands that people will only choose to convert if they're fully informed and at ease.

Source: codapet.com

Or how about doing something similar to Rapid Direct? This brand presents web visitors with a free DFM analysis applet. But, the tool requires users to upload a file first.

So, to ensure that its prospects get the most pleasant user experience, Rapid Direct uses microcopy to list the file types its solution supports, automatically reducing the number of unsuccessful use attempts and significantly boosting its prospects' satisfaction (and thus their likelihood of becoming customers).

Source: rapiddirect.com

Providing Your Prospects With Guidance

Last but not least, as you explore methods to elevate website conversion rates — and the benefits of utilising microcopy to support CTA buttons — don't forget that people choose what brands to buy based on how they expect to be treated by those companies.

In fact, customer experience and customer service regularly rank high on people's list of purchase-influencing factors, with 70% of consumers saying that service and convenience trump price when choosing what solutions to invest in.

"...customer experience and customer service regularly rank high on people's list of purchase-influencing factors..."

Admittedly, your CTA buttons won't (usually) be the space you'll want to use to deliver customer service promises. Nonetheless, you can use website conversion elements to give your prospects a small preview of how they can expect to be treated by your brand.

By using microcopy to gently guide and support your audience throughout the conversion process, you can emphasise your brand's dedication to customer satisfaction and inspire them to click that "buy" or "sign up" button.

"...using microcopy to gently guide and support your audience...you can emphasise your brand's dedication to customer satisfaction and inspire them to click that "buy" or "sign up" button."

And the best part about this copywriting strategy is that it can be fairly simple.

For example, you can draw inspiration from Eden Emerald Buyers Agent. This brand knows that the key to presenting customers with value lies in collecting as much info about their expectations as possible and then providing a personalised experience. That's why its primary conversion element — a contact form — asks web visitors to provide several pieces of key info.

By using microcopy to help prospects fill out this form, EE Buyer's Agent ensures that it has the data it needs to meet its prospects' expectations. More importantly, it gently guides potential customers through the form, showing that it's a business they can rely on to provide the support they will inevitably need when it comes to purchasing their future property.

Source: eebuyersagent.com.au

Final Thoughts

Calls to action can be exceptionally powerful at driving conversions — especially when paired with on-the-money value propositions.

However, when trying to optimise website sales, keep in mind that some of your web visitors will have a few doubts or even solid reasons not to buy from your brand.

In these cases, well-written, trust-building, and CX-elevating microcopy can be your best weapon for helping you reach your conversion goals. And that's not just because it can present your audience with key information that will nudge them toward the lower stages of the sales funnel. More importantly, it can help you address and remove their concerns and show that they can rely on your business to prioritise their needs and act with their best interest at heart.

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