Comments on: Click here to read this article http://friendlybit.com/other/click-here-to-read-this-article/ Strategic web development Tue, 08 May 2012 22:48:12 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Emil Stenström http://friendlybit.com/other/click-here-to-read-this-article/#comment-32904 Emil Stenström Tue, 11 Aug 2009 11:09:32 +0000 http://friendlybit.com/other/click-here-to-read-this-article/#comment-32904 @Niklas Olsson: Very interesting to hear that "Click here" performs so well in tests. Do I understand you correctly when you say that "read the full entry" performs worse than "To read the full entry - click here"? If that's the case, it's seems that the combination of both a descriptive text, and the words "click here" performs best? It might be just my web experience, but to me, the color and underlining of links is what screams "click here". About trust and measuring: Maybe you could setup two pages, one with a click here-link to the second page, and another with some text. Then measure the time spent on the second page. If what you said about is correct, I would suspect that more people click through when you include "click here", but they stay on the second page for a shorter period of time. Even though they clicked, they are not as sure why, and are more likely to click the back button when there. That's my guess anyway, and my arguments for still staying away from "click here" text. The Aftonbladet (or any other big site) argument is a misleading one. It didn't get big because of tricking people to click links they don't want, do they? They got big because of other reasons, and are tricking people to get more ad impressions. A very different issue altogether! Thanks for your comment! @Niklas Olsson: Very interesting to hear that “Click here” performs so well in tests. Do I understand you correctly when you say that “read the full entry” performs worse than “To read the full entry – click here”? If that’s the case, it’s seems that the combination of both a descriptive text, and the words “click here” performs best? It might be just my web experience, but to me, the color and underlining of links is what screams “click here”.

About trust and measuring: Maybe you could setup two pages, one with a click here-link to the second page, and another with some text. Then measure the time spent on the second page. If what you said about is correct, I would suspect that more people click through when you include “click here”, but they stay on the second page for a shorter period of time. Even though they clicked, they are not as sure why, and are more likely to click the back button when there. That’s my guess anyway, and my arguments for still staying away from “click here” text.

The Aftonbladet (or any other big site) argument is a misleading one. It didn’t get big because of tricking people to click links they don’t want, do they? They got big because of other reasons, and are tricking people to get more ad impressions. A very different issue altogether!

Thanks for your comment!

]]> By: Niklas Olsson http://friendlybit.com/other/click-here-to-read-this-article/#comment-32903 Niklas Olsson Sun, 09 Aug 2009 20:03:48 +0000 http://friendlybit.com/other/click-here-to-read-this-article/#comment-32903 Interesting discussion here. I have myself done quite a lot of A/B-testing with call to actions in link text (both images and in written language). From my experience, "Click here" is an extremely strong call to action that really drives clicks like nothing else. Of course you need to use it in combination with some other text like "to read the full entry - click here!" to imply what is hidden behind the jump though. The discussion of trust and how fooling your visitors into visiting pages that they really wasn't that interested in is very relevant. "Trust" is however a very abstract word and very, very hard to measure why the real consequences of it can only be guessed at. My favorite example is Sweden's largest online newspaper Aftonbladet.se that constantly fools its readers with bogus headlines that don't match the article's content. Still, it is Sweden's largest online newspaper. Something worth thinking about :) Interesting discussion here.

I have myself done quite a lot of A/B-testing with call to actions in link text (both images and in written language).

From my experience, “Click here” is an extremely strong call to action that really drives clicks like nothing else.

Of course you need to use it in combination with some other text like “to read the full entry – click here!” to imply what is hidden behind the jump though.

The discussion of trust and how fooling your visitors into visiting pages that they really wasn’t that interested in is very relevant. “Trust” is however a very abstract word and very, very hard to measure why the real consequences of it can only be guessed at.

My favorite example is Sweden’s largest online newspaper Aftonbladet.se that constantly fools its readers with bogus headlines that don’t match the article’s content. Still, it is Sweden’s largest online newspaper. Something worth thinking about :)

]]> By: Emil Stenström http://friendlybit.com/other/click-here-to-read-this-article/#comment-31663 Emil Stenström Tue, 17 Mar 2009 09:18:36 +0000 http://friendlybit.com/other/click-here-to-read-this-article/#comment-31663 @Haruspex: Well put. There's no value in people just clicking, you want them to buy stuff, place orders, or read up on some important topic. "Click here" surely is weak. @Haruspex: Well put. There’s no value in people just clicking, you want them to buy stuff, place orders, or read up on some important topic. “Click here” surely is weak.

]]> By: Haruspex http://friendlybit.com/other/click-here-to-read-this-article/#comment-31662 Haruspex Tue, 17 Mar 2009 00:47:06 +0000 http://friendlybit.com/other/click-here-to-read-this-article/#comment-31662 @Lazy: The people using "click here" may or may not know how to market better than Emil, but they do not know how best to market. A call to action is important, but "click here" is a very weak call to action. <blockquote cite="http://www.lyrishq.com/content/view/88/">As a command, “click here” is beautiful in its simplicity, but it falls far short as a call to action – the trigger to launch the customer on the complicated path to conversion – because it doesn’t tell your email readers what you really want them to do. Nor does it answer that universal question all readers have that drives so many actions: “What’s in it for me?”</blockquote> You can read more about this in the article <a href="http://www.lyrishq.com/content/view/88/" rel="nofollow">8 Tips for a Stronger Call to Action</a>. @Lazy: The people using “click here” may or may not know how to market better than Emil, but they do not know how best to market. A call to action is important, but “click here” is a very weak call to action.

As a command, “click here” is beautiful in its simplicity, but it falls far short as a call to action – the trigger to launch the customer on the complicated path to conversion – because it doesn’t tell your email readers what you really want them to do.

Nor does it answer that universal question all readers have that drives so many actions: “What’s in it for me?”

You can read more about this in the article 8 Tips for a Stronger Call to Action.

]]> By: News » “Rules” for the web http://friendlybit.com/other/click-here-to-read-this-article/#comment-31255 News » “Rules” for the web Wed, 03 Dec 2008 22:32:14 +0000 http://friendlybit.com/other/click-here-to-read-this-article/#comment-31255 [...] clipped from friendlybit.com [...] [...] clipped from friendlybit.com [...]

]]> By: “Rules” for the web « Technoagita http://friendlybit.com/other/click-here-to-read-this-article/#comment-31254 “Rules” for the web « Technoagita Wed, 03 Dec 2008 22:31:57 +0000 http://friendlybit.com/other/click-here-to-read-this-article/#comment-31254 [...] clipped from friendlybit.com [...] [...] clipped from friendlybit.com [...]

]]> By: 7 Reasons Not to Link with “Click Here” | Business Blog http://friendlybit.com/other/click-here-to-read-this-article/#comment-30671 7 Reasons Not to Link with “Click Here” | Business Blog Fri, 30 May 2008 11:57:04 +0000 http://friendlybit.com/other/click-here-to-read-this-article/#comment-30671 [...] billion (yes billion) instances in Google’s database where website owners have used “click here” as linked text on their website. Let me guess, that includes you, [...] [...] billion (yes billion) instances in Google’s database where website owners have used “click here” as linked text on their website. Let me guess, that includes you, [...]

]]> By: 7 Reasons Not to Link with “Click Here” | Sparkplug CEO http://friendlybit.com/other/click-here-to-read-this-article/#comment-30665 7 Reasons Not to Link with “Click Here” | Sparkplug CEO Wed, 28 May 2008 18:06:38 +0000 http://friendlybit.com/other/click-here-to-read-this-article/#comment-30665 [...] billion (yes billion) instances in Google’s database where website owners have used “click here” as linked text on their website. Let me guess, that includes you, [...] [...] billion (yes billion) instances in Google’s database where website owners have used “click here” as linked text on their website. Let me guess, that includes you, [...]

]]> By: Anne http://friendlybit.com/other/click-here-to-read-this-article/#comment-12496 Anne Sat, 06 Jan 2007 09:25:03 +0000 http://friendlybit.com/other/click-here-to-read-this-article/#comment-12496 You are right... Never thought of that. However, underlined links does look ugly in a text! You are right… Never thought of that. However, underlined links does look ugly in a text!

]]> By: grafiskblog.dk » Blog Archive » Hvorfor er beskrivende link tekster vigtige? http://friendlybit.com/other/click-here-to-read-this-article/#comment-8655 grafiskblog.dk » Blog Archive » Hvorfor er beskrivende link tekster vigtige? Thu, 07 Dec 2006 16:01:15 +0000 http://friendlybit.com/other/click-here-to-read-this-article/#comment-8655 [...] Linket: Click here to read this article [...] [...] Linket: Click here to read this article [...]

]]> By: Marty http://friendlybit.com/other/click-here-to-read-this-article/#comment-8472 Marty Tue, 05 Dec 2006 09:04:16 +0000 http://friendlybit.com/other/click-here-to-read-this-article/#comment-8472 Totally agree. In fact "click here" used as link text will fail accessibility validators like cynthia says. Some developers are getting to understand this so have improved an use better link text like "read more on <strong><em>subject</em></strong>" or "find out about <strong><em>subject</em></strong> here" but still a correct link text is neeeded for accessibility and better still extra information about the link in the title attribute. Still I think the "click here" link is going to be around for a while still Totally agree. In fact “click here” used as link text will fail accessibility validators like cynthia says. Some developers are getting to understand this so have improved an use better link text like “read more on subject” or “find out about subject here” but still a correct link text is neeeded for accessibility and better still extra information about the link in the title attribute.

Still I think the “click here” link is going to be around for a while still

]]> By: OPC IT eBusiness Toolbox » Blog Archive » Click here to read this article http://friendlybit.com/other/click-here-to-read-this-article/#comment-8469 OPC IT eBusiness Toolbox » Blog Archive » Click here to read this article Tue, 05 Dec 2006 07:50:52 +0000 http://friendlybit.com/other/click-here-to-read-this-article/#comment-8469 [...] Emil Stenström discusses the importance of meaningful link text. [...] [...] Emil Stenström discusses the importance of meaningful link text. [...]

]]> By: Max Design - standards based web design, development and training » Some links for light reading (5/12/06) http://friendlybit.com/other/click-here-to-read-this-article/#comment-8457 Max Design - standards based web design, development and training » Some links for light reading (5/12/06) Tue, 05 Dec 2006 05:12:43 +0000 http://friendlybit.com/other/click-here-to-read-this-article/#comment-8457 [...] Click here to read this article [...] [...] Click here to read this article [...]

]]> By: milo317 http://friendlybit.com/other/click-here-to-read-this-article/#comment-8125 milo317 Thu, 30 Nov 2006 11:09:09 +0000 http://friendlybit.com/other/click-here-to-read-this-article/#comment-8125 What about enabling "tool tips" and adding a small description in the link title? What about enabling “tool tips” and adding a small description in the link title?

]]> By: zenshadow http://friendlybit.com/other/click-here-to-read-this-article/#comment-8103 zenshadow Thu, 30 Nov 2006 01:48:03 +0000 http://friendlybit.com/other/click-here-to-read-this-article/#comment-8103 <a href="http://tagworld.com/zenshadow/" rel="nofollow">Click here</a> (sorry, couldn't resist!) Click here (sorry, couldn’t resist!)

]]>