How tour operators can use CTAs to get more bookings

You’ve got a stunning kayaking tour, and visitors are landing on your website every day. But instead of booking, they’re hesitating. Why? Because they don’t know what to do next — and that’s where a bold, well-placed “Book Now” button can make all the difference.

A call to action (CTA) is a statement that directs readers to take a single action by prompting them or telling them exactly what to do next. If you have a website, you already have at least a few CTAs, probably in the form of book buttons. Think things like “Book Now” or “Choose An Experience.” 

Most CTAs, whether on your website, on social media, in an email, or elsewhere, exist in the form of a short call-out with a button or image, so visitors can take action just by clicking.

CTAs can be used in various marketing channels. From finding your website to reading more about your services to booking a tour or activity, every step in your customer’s journey is powered by a strong CTA. 

In this guide, learn how, where, and when to use CTAs throughout your digital marketing campaigns to prompt your potential customers to register for an event, book a tour, sign up for a newsletter, or take another action, at the push of a button.

Why should you use a CTA?

Think of CTAs as your site’s tour guides — they point people exactly where they need to go. Without them, your visitors are wandering aimlessly. With them? One click, and they’re halfway to booking that sunset cruise or Segway tour.

Plus, they take out all the guesswork for the user. Think about the last time someone called your office because they couldn’t figure out how to book online. A strong CTA saves you that phone call, and saves them the hassle. It makes the booking process quick, obvious, and seamless.

From the minute they land on your website, a bright button catches their attention and makes their next step clear. They’re just one click away from booking a tour or activity.

Pro-tip: Use the Blurry Eye Test to make sure your CTA truly stands out on the page. Blur your eyes so you cannot read the content on your screen. Can you still clearly see the CTA button on the page? If so, you’re good to go! If the CTA does not stand out, consider altering it by making it larger or changing it to a color that stands out better on the page. 

Where should you use a CTA?

The beauty of CTAs is that they can go pretty much anywhere, resulting in numerous opportunities to create conversions. Here are some places you must include CTAs to improve user experience and increase bookings.

On your website: 

Imagine a traveler scrolling through your homepage. They should always see a clear next step, whether that’s exploring your tours, learning more about your team, or booking instantly.

CTAs reduce friction for travelers, turning curiosity about your sunset cruise into a booking without extra clicks

Put CTAs on every page. Each page of your website serves a different purpose, and they each provide visitors with new opportunities to take action. 

• CTAs on a homepage: When a customer is on your homepage, they should see CTAs leading to your all activities page, a specific tour or activity, or a button leading to your About page..
• CTAs on tour or activity pages: Include a CTA to open the booking form. List related activities below the tour description with CTAs leading to those pages.  
• CTAs on other pages: Other interior pages like Contact Us, About Us, blog pages, and more can all direct visitors back to a booking page so that you’re always pointing them toward making a booking!

On your social media accounts: 

Your website is the first place to use CTAs to send travelers directly into booking forms, but CTAs on your social media accounts can be used for several different purposes:

• Drive visitors to your website 
• Grow your social following
• Create brand awareness 
• Spark conversations about your business

Common CTAs across Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and other social platforms are used for encouraging people to follow your profile, watch a story, subscribe to a channel (YouTube), leave a comment, like or share a post, vote in a poll, or even follow a link to your website. All of these actions promote brand awareness and conversions.

Whether you’re creating a button linking to your website on your Facebook profile, sending customers to a link in the bio of your Instagram account, or prompting them to follow you on TikTok, social media is a natural place for CTAs. 

Check out the help pages on your favorite social media platform to learn how to add CTAs or see our guide to social media marketing.

In an email: 

Whether they’re perusing the monthly newsletter, checking out your seasonal promotions, or viewing the details about an upcoming special event, you haven’t fully captured a reader’s attention until you get them to click through to take the next step.

Say you’re running a Valentine’s Day wine tour. An email with a bright “Reserve My Spot” button not only shares the event, it makes it effortless for couples to book right away.

Keep your emails singularly focused. While you can add more CTAs, a single prominent call to action prevents overwhelm and drives the desired action.

Put your CTA toward the top and create a sense of urgency within the text. For example, when sending a special deal to repeat customers, your CTA should grab their attention right away with the exclusive offer: “Today only: 20% off holiday cruises.”

No matter what type of email you’re sending, you should still make your CTAs stand out with bright colors and catchy text (more on this in a moment) and avoid burying the CTA within the body of the email.

In Google Ads and other callouts: 

Running Google Ads for your zipline tour? A CTA like ‘Book My Ride Today’ works better for locals, while ‘Plan Your Adventure in Maui’ appeals to travelers researching their trip 

CTAs can also help you track budgets in Google Ads when you only focus on one CTA per campaign. By only directing travelers to one goal per campaign, you can optimize your budget and create a clear path to booking.

How to create copy for your CTA

Now that you know how to incorporate CTAs within your digital marketing strategy, it’s important to write snappy copy that will entice readers to click. No matter what kind of CTA you’re using, whether image-based or a button, text is still the meat of the CTA since it gives viewers direct instructions. 

Great CTAs speak your customer’s language. Instead of a plain “Submit,” try “Reserve My Kayak” — it feels personal, exciting, and connected to your experience.

Your audience needs to see something valuable that they can use to get to the next stage of their journey.

Phrases like “get your exclusive offer,” “find out how,” “reserve your wine tasting,” and “register now” offer value to readers and better reflect the service or product you are offering, as well as providing a direct link to that asset. If the prompt is too generic, many customers won’t bother clicking the CTA.

Here are a few tips to keep in mind as you write CTAs:

• Create a sense of urgency: FOMO, or fear of missing out, is a very real feeling that motivates potential customers to take action. Using phrases like “5 spots left!”, “special offer today only,” and “unlock your deal now” make it seem as though this offer won’t be around for long, so people should take advantage of it while they still can.
• Try using the first person: While it’s common to address your customers in the second person (you, your) in your tour or activity descriptions and other places across your site, writing CTAs in the first person (me, my) makes them feel as though the text was written just for them. “Redeem my discount,” “reserve my spot,” and “book my kayak” are all examples of first-person CTAs in action. In one A/B test highlighted by Unbounce, changing a button from ‘Start your free trial’ to ‘Start my free trial’ increased clicks by 90% — proof that small tweaks can make a big difference.
• Use actionable text: The text you use in your CTAs should have strong verbs that spark action. A button that simply says “all tours” or “special offers” doesn’t drive home the point that you want customers to click these buttons. Using direct, strong verbs tells them exactly what they need to do.

Pro-tip: Spice up your CTA verbiage. Instead of a simple “Book Now” call-out, have your customers: 

• Discover Our Tours
• Explore All Tours
• Plan a Kayaking Adventure
• Experience a Sunset Cruise
• Ride A Segway With Us
• Take A Helicopter Ride
• Rent A SUP Board
• Reserve A Tour

CTA best practices

Ready to take your CTA game from good to great? Here are a few pro tips that’ll help you grab attention and get more clicks.

Include multiple CTAs: Your homepage isn’t a one-shot chance. As travelers scroll, repeat CTAs so they can book at any point — whether they’re ready at the top or after reading reviews at the bottom.

Make CTA placement obvious: Place CTAs in the most prominent places on the page so nobody can miss them. Travelers skim websites just like they skim menus at a restaurant. Put CTAs where their eyes naturally land — at the top, in sidebars, and at the end of pages.

Make CTAs stand out: Use bright colors, a stark outline or shadow, and colors that contrast with your main colors to give the message prominence. QuickSprout reported SAP saw a 32.5% lift from orange CTAs, and Performable saw a 21% bump with red CTAs — showing that color choice isn’t just design, it’s revenue. Icons and negative or white space around the message also help your CTA pop.

Use large, legible text: Text should be legible and visible so visitors don’t have to squint to read it. On the other hand, don’t make the words too large, as visitors don’t like being assaulted with huge text. Make it big enough to draw their attention without overdoing it.

Link CTAs to the proper pages: Imagine getting an email for a brewery tour special. You’re ready to book, but the button sends you to the homepage — or worse, a 404 page. Frustrated, you abandon the email and Google other options instead. That’s exactly what your customers will do if CTAs don’t lead where they promise. Always link buttons directly to the correct booking page to avoid losing sales.

Who should you target with a CTA?

Not every visitor is ready to book. A first-time visitor might click “Learn More About Our Snorkel Tours,” while a returning customer is ready for “Book My Snorkel Adventure.” Meeting people where they are makes your CTAs more inclusive and effective.

Depending on the CMS (content management system) you use, you should create separate CTAs to target different visitors depending on which stage of the buyer’s journey they are in — to understand where a visitor might be in their journey, tailor CTAs around questions like: 

• Are they ready to book a tour or activity right now? 
• Are they simply researching their options and looking to learn more?

If someone has visited your website a few times, they’re likely ready to book a tour, and their CTA might direct them to the booking form for your most popular tour (“Book Kayak Tour”). 

On the other hand, you would use a more generic CTA for people who are new to the website and want to learn more about the services you offer on a blog page or welcome page (“Learn More About Our Kayak Tours”).

Pro tip: Make it personal. Personalized CTAs convert 202% better than standard CTAs, so it’s best practice to use them whenever you can.

Depending on the targeting capabilities of your CMS or CRM, there are several ways to personalize CTAs. You can base them on location, browser language, where the visitor is within their buyer’s journey (based on whether or not they’ve visited your site), and more. 

If you’re not sure whether or not your CMS has this capability, contact your web developer to see what options are available to you.

How to improve your CTAs

Are you wondering which CTA to use on a certain page of your site or in an upcoming email? Perhaps you have several ideas for CTAs that differ in text, color, size, or other elements and you want to know which one will gain more conversions. That’s where A/B testing comes in.

A/B testing allows you to test two variants of a CTA to determine which one will earn more conversions. During the testing period, the two options are shown to visitors at random, and then you can look at the data to see which one performed better for your given goal. These results will help you make decisions about future design, text, campaigns, and more. 

Now what?

Your CTAs aren’t just buttons — they’re the link between travelers dreaming of an adventure and actually booking it. 

Start by updating one page this week, whether it’s your homepage or your most popular tour. Once you’ve tested and refined, expand across social media, email, and ads. 

Take the guesswork out of CTA placement. Let FareHarbor Sites design pages that guide travelers straight to booking.