Homepage Banner CTA Copy Test: $16K/Month Case Study

Your CTA might be the problem.

We tested homepage banner CTA copy for a 7-figure VR gunstock brand. Heatmap data showed low revenue per click on the banner. People were seeing it. They weren't clicking.

The control CTA was "Try It Now Risk-Free." Safe. Generic. Forgettable.

The winner? "Upgrade Your Aim – Dominate VR."

Results: +$16,356/mo revenue.

The Problem With "Try It Now Risk-Free"

"Try It Now Risk-Free" is the kind of CTA you write when you can't think of anything better.

It's not wrong. It addresses objections (risk-free). It has a call to action (try it now). It checks the boxes.

But it doesn't speak to why someone would want this product in the first place. It's generic. It could be on any product page for any product.

For competitive VR gamers looking for a performance edge, "risk-free" isn't the motivator. Domination is.

The Hypothesis

Changing the banner CTA copy to a more targeted, benefit-driven or action-oriented CTA will increase engagement and click-through rates by better aligning with the motivations of the target audience: competitive gamers seeking performance advantages.

We tested four different CTA approaches to see which framing resonated most.

Test Setup

Page: Homepage
Location: Banner
Platform: Intelligems
Test Type: A/B/n with 5 variations

Control

CTA: "Try It Now Risk-Free"

Risk-reversal framing. Addresses purchase anxiety but doesn't speak to desire.

Variation 1

CTA: "Get game-changing accuracy"

Benefit-focused. Speaks to the outcome (accuracy) but uses buzzword language ("game-changing").

Variation 2

CTA: "Shop streamer level gunstock"
Secondary: "Learn more"

Social proof angle. Associates the product with streamers/pros. Added a secondary link for information seekers.

Variation 3 (Winner)

CTA: "Upgrade Your Aim – Dominate VR"
Secondary: "How it works"

Combines benefit (upgrade your aim) with aspiration (dominate VR). Secondary link for people who need more info before clicking.

Variation 4

CTA: "Buy Now (Money-Back Guarantee)"
Secondary: "Learn more"

Direct purchase CTA with risk-reversal in parentheses. Most aggressive ask.

Results

Winner: Variation 3

Metric	Improvement
Monthly Revenue	+$16,356

"Upgrade Your Aim – Dominate VR" beat both the safe approach (risk-free) and the aggressive approach (buy now).

Why It Worked

1. Speaks to the customer's actual motivation

Competitive gamers don't buy VR gunstocks because they're risk-free. They buy them to get better. To win. To dominate.

"Upgrade Your Aim – Dominate VR" taps directly into that motivation. It's not about the purchase. It's about what happens after.

2. Two benefits in one CTA

The winning CTA packs two promises: "Upgrade Your Aim" (immediate benefit) and "Dominate VR" (aspirational outcome).

That's a lot of value in five words. Each word is doing work.

3. The secondary link reduced friction

Adding "How it works" gave hesitant visitors an alternative path. Not ready to commit? Learn more first.

This likely increased overall engagement with the banner. Some people clicked the CTA. Others clicked "How it works." Both moved down the funnel.

4. "Buy Now" was too aggressive

Variation 4 went straight for the sale: "Buy Now (Money-Back Guarantee)."

It didn't win. Homepage visitors often aren't ready to buy yet. They're still learning, comparing, deciding. A hard "Buy Now" on the first screen can feel pushy.

The winning CTA invites action without demanding purchase.

5. "Streamer level" didn't land

Variation 2 tried social proof: "Shop streamer level gunstock."

It underperformed. Possible reasons: not everyone identifies with streamers, or the phrasing felt awkward. Sometimes clever positioning doesn't beat clear benefit language.

What This Means for CTA Copy

Your CTA should speak to why customers want your product, not just what you want them to do.

"Buy Now" tells them your goal. "Upgrade Your Aim" tells them their outcome.

Things to test:

• Benefit-first CTAs: Lead with what they get, not what you want
• Aspiration language: Speak to who they want to become
• Secondary links: Give hesitant visitors an alternative path
• Audience-specific framing: Use language your customers actually use

And check your heatmap data. Low revenue per click on a high-visibility element is a sign your CTA isn't doing its job.

FAQ

Should CTAs always be benefit-focused?

Not always. But for homepage banners where visitors are early in the journey, benefit-focused tends to outperform action-focused.

Later in the funnel (cart, checkout), direct CTAs like "Complete Purchase" work better. Context matters.

How do you know what language resonates with your audience?

Read your reviews. Read Reddit threads about your product category. Look at how customers describe what they want.

"Dominate" is gamer language. It came from understanding the audience, not from a copywriting formula.

Is adding a secondary link always a good idea?

Not always. It can split attention or give people an excuse not to click the primary CTA.

Test it. For considered purchases where people need more information, secondary links often help. For impulse buys, they might hurt.

How much can CTA copy really impact revenue?

More than most people think. The banner is seen by nearly every visitor. Small improvements in click-through compound across all that traffic.

$16K/mo from changing a few words. Worth the test.

This test was run using Intelligems as part of a CONVERTIBLES personalization program. Want to see what CTA optimizations could do for your homepage? Book a call to get 3 personalized recommendations for your store.