A link is a signpost, a promise. If a customer clicks on your link they are spending their time. Don’t make them waste it.
By Gerry McGovern, November 09, 2009 – permission to reprint obtained.
another Internet Skills, Website Tips post
How to write effective links that are part of the body text of a page:
Links should embody the action. Links should be written like a heading. Ideally, all the reader should need to do is read the link to decide whether to click or not. People only read as much as they absolutely have to before clicking.
What’s wrong with this imaginary link? Customer satisfaction survey: 2006
The critical year 2006 is at the end. Many people will be looking for the 2009 survey, They have to scan across the first three words and then click. So, to avoid this sort of situation do this:
2006 customer satisfaction survey
Lead with the need. Start with the most essential information. Avoid “click here.” Tell them what they’ll get if they click the link.
A text link should look like a link. There are reasons why signposts, even across international borders, are consistent and familiar. Signposts simplify travel, and the essence of a link is to help someone navigate. They want to get the information and save their precious time. So for websites, use the standard blue and underline it. That’s the ideal. Unfortunately, this blog’s WordPress color editor will not allow color choice for internal links. I would like to do what I say you should do on this blog, but that’s impossible until there’s an update to this feature.
Where to place graphics links? Graphics links are rarely effective if placed in the left or right sidebars. People think they’re ads. We (Gerry McGovern) had a situation where a graphic link for “Apply now for your rebate”, placed in the left sidebar of the first screen, got nine times fewer clicks than the text link “Apply now for your rebate” that was 3 screens of content down the page, but in the center column.
When linking with a graphic make sure there is a very clear call to action. This call to action unmistakably must look like a button or a blue underlined link. Why else create the link?
Web designers sometimes do egoistic, “customer irrelevant” things. Some designers create links that are subtle, with no underline, that integrate well with the rest of the page’s ambience, look, mood. This really means the designer’s image. Often, the only way you know a link is a link is if you hover your mouse over it and the cursor shows you the finger. Go figure that.
Place the link at the point of action. A good web writer is constantly thinking about the journey the customer is on and placing links at appropriate decision points in that journey.
You’re at the end of this Gerry McGovern article – please read Gerry’s last example: What do you think of customers who have reached the bottom of one of your web pages? They’re engaged; they’re interested. I once worked with an electronics company who had a “Buy” link to the shop at the top of each product page but none at the bottom. We added a Buy link to the bottom of each product page and doubled the number of purchases.
Gerry McGovern’s website is about New Thinking for website content management.
