Whether to include multiple calls-to-action (CTA) on a single page or stick to one primary selling point per webpage, email, or content asset is one of the oldest and most heavily disputed questions in digital marketing. 

Throughout my career, I’ve heard a lot of good arguments for both positions, and I’ve even waffled back and forth about the right approach. Every consumer has different browsing habits and will behave uniquely in each situation, which means that different scenarios call for different tactics. So, while I’d like to say there’s a single one-size-fits-all answer to guide you across the board, it’s just not that simple, unfortunately. 

On the one hand, too many choices might overwhelm your users and could lead to a sort of paralysis that causes them to do nothing rather than all the things. On the other, only having one CTA might feel limiting to your users and/or present an option that they’re simply not interested in. 

So the question isn’t as simple as “How many CTAs should I use?” Instead, it’s more useful to ask a different question entirely, “When should I use a single CTA vs. when should I use multiple CTAs?” because there’s a time and place for both.

Continue reading to examine a few tried and true CTA strategies.