HubSpot CTA Sequencing: How to Avoid Overwhelming Visitors with Multiple CTAs

Ever found yourself on a website, only to be bombarded by a pop-up, a slide-in, and a banner CTA all at once? It’s a frustrating experience that can send even the most interested visitor running for the hills. For those of us managing stores and driving sales through HubSpot, this is a real concern. We want to guide our customers, not overwhelm them.

This exact dilemma recently popped up in the HubSpot Community, and it sparked a great discussion that many RevOps pros and e-commerce marketers can learn from. The original poster was looking for a way to publish two customer-specific CTAs – say, a banner and a pop-up – but wanted to ensure they didn’t show up simultaneously. The goal? To make CTA 2 appear only after a customer had already clicked CTA 1, effectively creating a sequential, less intrusive experience.

The Challenge: Native CTA Priority in HubSpot

The original poster rightly pointed out that there isn't a straightforward, native 'priority level' setting for CTAs in HubSpot. This is a common wish, and there's even an existing idea recommendation in the community for it. So, what’s a marketer to do when the out-of-the-box solution isn't quite there?

Initially, some community members explored workarounds. One respondent suggested leveraging segment membership in the Targeting tab. The idea was to create a segment of contacts who had already clicked CTA 1 and another for those who hadn't. Then, you'd show CTA 1 to the latter group and CTA 2 to the former. This is a clever approach, but it adds a layer of contact list management that might not be ideal for real-time sequencing.

Another suggestion involved a more technical route: using a small cookie or localStorage combined with JavaScript. This could track CTA 1 clicks and suppress CTA 2 until the first CTA was engaged. While effective for developers, it’s not ideal for all marketers who prefer a no-code solution.

The Game-Changer: Native Targeting Rules for CTA Sequencing

Here's where the discussion got really interesting and provided the most actionable insight. A seasoned community member, pulled into the conversation by a HubSpot Community Manager, clarified that while there's no explicit 'priority setting', the desired behavior is absolutely doable natively within HubSpot, with no custom code required!

The trick lies in leveraging CTA 2’s targeting rules. HubSpot’s built-in functionality allows you to set an audience for your CTAs based on prior interactions, including specific CTA clicks. It uses cookies under the hood, but it's all managed within the HubSpot UI.

Here’s how you can set this up step-by-step:

1. Create Your First CTA (CTA 1 - e.g., a Banner):
   • Design your first CTA (e.g., a banner promoting a new collection or an introductory offer).
   • Publish it to your desired audience as normal (e.g., all visitors, or specific segments based on page views, etc.).
2. Create Your Second CTA (CTA 2 - e.g., a Pop-up/Slide-in):
   • Design your second CTA (e.g., a pop-up with a special discount code or a detailed product guide).
   • Navigate to its Targeting rules.
   • Set its audience to Filtered visitors.
   • Add a rule that specifies the visitor has already clicked CTA 1. You'll find this option in the dropdown under 'CTA interactions'.

   This crucial step ensures that CTA 2 will only ever fire for visitors who have already engaged with your first CTA. This achieves both the sequencing you want and ensures both CTAs are never displayed simultaneously, preventing that dreaded overwhelm.

   

Finishing Touches for a Seamless Experience

To further refine the user experience, consider these additional tips:

• Add a Scroll-Depth or Time-Delay Trigger: For your pop-up (CTA 2), don't have it jump out the instant a returning, already-clicked visitor lands. Add a delay or require them to scroll a certain percentage down the page. This makes it feel less aggressive.
• Use the “Show Again” Frequency Setting: On your pop-up, set a sensible frequency (e.g., don’t show again, or after a set time). You don't want to badger users who've already seen or dismissed it.
• Keep it to One Slide-in Per Page: HubSpot itself advises against multiple slide-ins, as they can conflict and sometimes fail to render. Stick to one per page for optimal performance.

This native solution is a powerful way to create a more personalized and less intrusive experience for your website visitors. Whether you're running a sophisticated e-commerce platform or managing a simple weebly online shop, smart CTA sequencing can significantly improve engagement and conversion rates.

ESHOPMAN Team Comment

We absolutely love this discussion! The original question highlights a critical UX issue that many e-commerce businesses face. While the idea of native priority settings for CTAs is still a great suggestion for HubSpot, the native targeting rules solution is a fantastic, underutilized feature. It's a perfect example of how diving into HubSpot's existing capabilities can solve complex problems without resorting to custom code. This approach aligns perfectly with our philosophy at ESHOPMAN: empower marketers to create seamless shopping experiences directly within HubSpot.

Implementing sequential CTAs like this helps you guide your customer journey, moving them from initial interest to deeper engagement without overwhelming them. It’s about being smart with your marketing, making every interaction count, and ultimately, driving more sales for your online store.