CTA Placement Mistakes Campaign Teams Make Without Realising
Call-to-action placement is one of the biggest drivers of email performance, yet it is also one of the most misunderstood. Many campaign teams focus on copy, colour, or button style while unknowingly making placement mistakes that quietly reduce engagement.
In Salesforce Marketing Cloud (SFMC) programmes, these mistakes often go unnoticed because reports show clicks but not attention.
This blog highlights the most common CTA placement mistakes campaign teams make without realising, and how email heatmaps help fix them.
Mistake 1: Placing the Primary CTA Too Low in the Email
One of the most common mistakes is assuming subscribers will scroll.
In reality, many subscribers click within the first few seconds of opening an email. When the primary CTA is placed too far down, engagement is already declining before users reach it.
SFMC reports may show low CTA clicks, but they don’t explain that users never reached the section.
Email heatmaps reveal where engagement peaks and where it drops, making this issue immediately visible.
Mistake 2: Competing CTAs Above the Primary Action
Campaign teams often include multiple links above the main CTA:
• Image links
• Navigation-style links
• Text CTAs
• Secondary actions
These elements often steal clicks from the primary CTA. Without visual insight, teams assume the CTA itself underperformed, when in fact attention was diverted elsewhere.
Heatmaps expose click competition clearly.
Mistake 3: Treating CTA Design as More Important Than Position
While design matters, placement matters more.
A perfectly designed CTA placed in a low-engagement area will underperform. SFMC metrics may suggest the CTA is weak, but the real issue is visibility.
Email heatmaps show whether CTAs are placed where attention naturally concentrates.
Mistake 4: Relying on Footer CTAs as a Safety Net
Footer CTAs are often added “just in case” users scroll.
Heatmaps consistently show that footer engagement is minimal for most campaigns. When teams rely on footers to capture action, they miss opportunities to convert earlier.
Heatmaps make it clear when footer CTAs add little value.
Mistake 5: Repeating the Same CTA Placement Across All Emails
Many teams reuse templates with fixed CTA positions, assuming consistency equals performance.
In reality, CTA effectiveness depends on:
• Email length
• Content type
• Campaign goal
• Audience behaviour
Heatmaps help teams understand when consistent placement works and when it doesn’t.
Mistake 6: Not Aligning CTA Placement With Attention Flow
Subscribers scan emails visually. They don’t read line by line.
When CTAs interrupt the natural attention flow or appear after disengagement has already started, performance drops.
Heatmaps reveal the actual path subscribers follow, allowing CTA placement to align with behaviour rather than assumptions.
Why These Mistakes Go Unnoticed in Salesforce Marketing Cloud
SFMC click reports show how many clicks a CTA received, but not:
• Where the CTA sits relative to attention
• Whether users reached that section
• What competed with it
• How engagement flowed before and after
As a result, campaign teams unknowingly repeat the same placement mistakes.
How Email Heatmaps Fix CTA Placement Issues
Email heatmaps help campaign teams:
• Identify high-attention zones
• Place CTAs where engagement is strongest
• Reduce link competition
• Remove low-performing CTAs
• Optimise without redesigning templates
This turns CTA placement into a data-driven decision.
How CRMX Helps Campaign Teams Avoid CTA Placement Mistakes
CRMX provides Salesforce Marketing Cloud Email Heatmap Intelligence built for campaign teams.
With CRMX, teams can:
• Visualise CTA engagement directly on email layouts
• Compare placement effectiveness across campaigns
• Identify competing links instantly
• Optimise CTA position with confidence
CRMX removes guesswork from CTA optimisation.
Final Thoughts
CTA placement mistakes don’t happen because campaign teams are careless. They happen because attention is invisible in traditional reports.
Salesforce Marketing Cloud shows clicks. Email heatmaps show where clicks should be.
When placement decisions are guided by behaviour, performance improves naturally.
Want to See Where Your CTAs Should Be?
Discover how Salesforce Marketing Cloud email heatmaps help campaign teams place CTAs where subscribers actually engage.
Request a demo to explore CRMX Salesforce Marketing Cloud Email Heatmaps.
