I want to talk about something that might seem small, but it’s actually incredibly powerful: the words we put on buttons. You know, those little rectangles you click everywhere online? They might seem like an afterthought, but they guide us through websites and apps, telling us what to do next. Think of them as a little whisper in your ear, a sign leading the way, an invitation to do something.
When a button label is chosen well, it pushes you forward, makes things easier to understand, and just generally improves your experience. But if it’s poorly chosen, you end up confused, hesitant, and sometimes, you just give up. For us writers, who are all about clear communication, mastering button labels isn’t just a nice-to-have skill; it’s absolutely essential. I’m going to share a guide that combines years of practical experience and understanding of how people think to help you pick the most effective button labels, every single time.
The Hidden Strength in Just a Few Words
Before we get into the nitty-gritty, let’s just appreciate how much impact these tiny bits of text can have. A button label is so much more than just words; it’s a tiny story, an instruction, a promise. It tells you what’s going to happen, manages your expectations, and helps calm any worries.
Think about the difference between “Click” and “Get Started Now.” “Click” is just a command, and it’s pretty dull. “Get Started Now” is an invitation, full of possibilities and an immediate benefit. So, the stakes are surprisingly high! Every part of a button, and every letter in its label, needs to work together to achieve one goal: getting users to do what you want them to do.
Step 1: Understand the Goal – What Exactly Do You Want the User to Do?
This might seem super basic, but neglecting it is why so many button labels just don’t work. Before you even think about words, throw out all your assumptions and ask yourself: what is the single, clear action this button is supposed to make happen? Is it to send information, go to a new page, confirm something, or start a download? Being clear here is crucial. Avoid any vagueness at all costs.
Here’s what you can do:
- Break Down the Purpose: If a button says “Continue,” what are they continuing to? If it’s “Submit,” what are they submitting exactly?
- Think About the Process: Map out the exact steps a user takes before and after hitting that button. This will show you the precise action needed.
Let’s look at some examples:
- Instead of: “Next” (too vague)
- Try: “Proceed to Checkout” (clear action, makes sense in context)
- Instead of: “OK” (doesn’t tell you the specific action)
- Try: “Confirm Deletion” (explicit action, includes a warning)
- Instead of: “Click Here” (a command, not what’s happening)
- Try: “Download Report” (specific action, clear benefit)
If you can’t describe the button’s purpose in one clear phrase, then the underlying design or workflow itself might be the problem, not just the label. Fix that foundational issue first.
Step 2: Know Your User – Their Situation, Language, and How They Think
Good communication always puts the audience first. Who is pressing this button? What do they already know? What do they expect? A button label for a software tool used by developers will be very different from one for a children’s game. Understanding your user’s technical skill, their emotional state, and the language they naturally use is super important.
How to put this into practice:
- Create User Personas: If you haven’t already, describe your ideal user. What are their biggest problems, their goals, and the words they use?
- Empathy Map: Imagine yourself in their shoes at the exact moment they see the button. Are they stressed, excited, or just indifferent?
- Use Their Words: If your users commonly refer to something as “the dashboard,” don’t label your button “Management Console.”
Think about these examples:
- For Business Software (Experienced Users):
- “Configure Parameters” (assumes they know technical terms)
- “Initiate Batch Process” (precise, technical action)
- For a Shopping Website (General Public):
- “Add to Cart” (familiar, common e-commerce phrasing)
- “Track My Order” (direct, answers a common question)
- For a Medical Application (Professionals):
- “Prescribe Medication” (clinical, formal)
- “Review Patient History” (precise, professional terminology)
Avoid using jargon if common language works better, unless your users are the jargon-speaking experts. The goal is clarity, not to sound smart or oversimplify things too much.
Step 3: Focus on Clarity and Being Brief – Every Word Counts
The golden rule for button labels is this: be as clear as possible, using as few words as you can. Every extra word just makes it harder to understand, slows down comprehension, and takes up valuable space. Aim for instant understanding.
Things you can do:
- Action-Oriented Verbs: Start with a strong, active verb that directly describes what’s going to happen. (like “Save,” “Send,” “Delete,” “Create”).
- The Brevity Test: Can you say it in fewer words without losing the meaning? If a four-word label can be three, make it three.
- Avoid Repetition: “Click to Submit” – “Click” is already understood. Just “Submit.” “Go to Dashboard” – “Go to” is often optional; “Dashboard” might be enough if the context is clear.
Let’s look at examples:
- Instead of: “Click Here to Login”
- Try: “Login” or “Sign In”
- Instead of: “Press This Button to Save Your Changes”
- Try: “Save Changes” or just “Save”
- Instead of: “Learn More About Our Services”
- Try: “Learn More” or “Our Services” (if the button’s position clearly shows it’s a link to services)
This isn’t about being rude; it’s about being efficient. Imagine a highway sign. You need to understand it instantly while going 70 mph. Your button label needs to be understood just as fast as a user moves through their digital journey.
Step 4: Make Sure It’s Consistent – Within Your System and Across Others
Consistency builds trust and makes things predictable. Users learn patterns. If “Submit” means sending data in one part of your application, it should mean the same thing everywhere else. Inconsistency leads to confusion and makes things harder to use, forcing users to re-think actions they thought they knew.
Practical tips:
- Create a Style Guide: Define standard button labels for common actions (like confirming, canceling, navigating).
- Categorize Button Types: Are some buttons primary actions, others secondary, and some destructive? Label them consistently within their group.
- Harmonize Across Platforms: If your service is on both web and mobile, try to use similar labeling when it makes sense.
Here are some examples:
- Consistent Action: If you use “Delete” for removing an item, don’t use “Remove” for the same action somewhere else. Stick to “Delete.”
- Consistent Navigation: If “Back” takes you to the previous page in one process, don’t use “Return” for the same function in another.
- Primary Action Consistency: If your main call-to-action button is always green and says “Get Started,” keep that pattern.
Users rely on muscle memory and learned behavior. Changing established patterns breaks that trust and forces them to actively think about each interaction, which slows them down.
Step 5: Think About the “Cost” and “Benefit” – Manage User Expectations
Every time you press a button, there’s an implied “cost” and a clear “benefit.” The cost might be time spent, data submitted, or an action you can’t undo. The benefit is the result, what you gain. A great button label highlights the benefit and, if necessary, clearly communicates the cost or consequence of the action.
Things to consider:
- Benefit-Oriented Labels: Whenever possible, emphasize what the user gets by clicking the button.
- Clear Consequences (for Destructive Actions): For actions you can’t undo, labels should be very clear and often use stronger verbs (like “Delete Permanently,” “Cancel Subscription”). Paired with a confirmation pop-up, these labels reduce accidental clicks.
- Value Proposition: Can you sneak a mini-value proposition into the label?
Examples to illustrate:
- Focusing on Benefit:
- Instead of: “Submit Form”
- Try: “Request a Demo” (emphasizes the desired outcome)
- Instead of: “Start”
- Try: “Start Free Trial” (highlights a specific benefit)
- Clarity on Consequences:
- “Archive Project” (implies it’s reversible, less serious)
- “Delete Account” (serious, irreversible)
- “Empty Trash” (clear, irreversible action for a specific context)
When the stakes are high, being clear is more important than being brief. For a confirmation button after a “Delete” action, “Yes, Delete It” is clearer and more definite than a simple “OK.”
Step 6: Test and Improve – Data Is Better Than Just Guessing
Even the best writer can’t predict how users will behave with 100% accuracy. What seems perfectly clear to you might confuse your users. A/B testing and getting user feedback are super helpful tools for making your button labels better. This isn’t a one-and-done process; it’s about constant refinement.
Here’s how to do it:
- A/B Test Different Options: Create two or more versions of a label and see which one performs better (higher click-through rate, lower bounce rate, faster completion).
- User Interviews/Usability Testing: Watch users interact with your interface. Ask them directly what they expect to happen when they click a specific button. Pay attention to any hesitation or confusion they voice.
- Heatmaps and Analytics: Track where users click, where they hover, and where they leave. This data can point to problematic labels.
- Improve Based on Data: Don’t be afraid to change a label if the data shows it’s not working well, even if you personally like it.
Concrete examples:
- A/B Test Scenario:
- Option A: “Sign Up”
- Option B: “Get Started Free”
- Result: Option B might perform better because it emphasizes the “free” benefit.
- Usability Testing Feedback:
- User comment: “I wasn’t sure if ‘Continue’ meant I was going to the next step or if it was confirming something.”
- Solution: Change to “Proceed to Payment” or “Review Order.”
- Analytics Insight: You see a lot of people leaving a page with a certain button.
- Hypothesis: The button label isn’t clear or inviting.
- Action: Test alternative labels.
The data provides an objective truth, revealing things that just guessing can’t. Embrace this ongoing process to keep getting better.
Step 7: Localize and Globalize – Language and Cultural Nuances
If your product or service reaches people all over the world, just translating isn’t enough. Button labels need to be localized. A direct translation can lead to awkward phrasing, loss of meaning, or even be culturally inappropriate. Idioms, common phrases, and sentence structure vary wildly across languages and cultures.
What you should do:
- Native Speaker Review: Have button labels reviewed by native speakers who understand the context and cultural nuances of the target audience.
- Consider Word Length: Some languages naturally use longer words or phrases, which can affect button design. Plan for changes in character length.
- Cultural Context: Does a phrase or concept translate well culturally? For instance, “Shop Now” might be common in English, but a direct translation might sound too aggressive in another culture.
Examples:
- English: “Apply Now”
- Literal Spanish Translation (awkward): “Aplicar Ahora”
- Better Spanish Localization: “Solicitar Ahora” (more natural for job/application context)
- English: “Connect with Us”
- Japanese (direct might be too casual): “お問い合わせ” (Inquiries/Contact Us, more formal and appropriate for a business context)
- German: “Download” (common and accepted loanword, but often “Herunterladen” is used) – a localized choice considers which is more common or preferred.
This step is an extension of “Know Your User,” but specifically for a diverse group of users from different languages and cultures. It requires a deeper cultural understanding beyond just translating words.
The Power of Tiny Words
Choosing the perfect button label is an art, but one that’s informed by science. It’s all about empathy, precision, and constantly learning. Each label is like a tiny design puzzle, demanding clarity, conciseness, and awareness of the context. By carefully following these seven steps, we writers can go beyond generic calls to action, creating labels that not only guide but also inspire and convert. The words you pick for these small, unassuming rectangles hold immense power. Use them wisely!