Have you authored a CLICK HERE link lately?
Tsk tsk. "Click here" is one of the most extensively used bad interface elements on the web. Descriptive hyperlinks are way more effective -- a drum that industry gurus have been arguing for some time.
There's some new data from Internet-Based Research group at UWash.
Spyridakis, J.H., Mobrand, K.A., Cuddihy, E.,and C.Y. Wei. Using Structural Cues to Guide Readers on the Internet. Information Design Journal, (in press).
Users got more out of the content in the Sem/Org link configuration than any other. Sem was the next runner up.
This illustrates the value of descriptive, informative links... not simply mechanical expressions like "next" or "click here".
One productive way to think about this is to imagine that the links the user clicks on are part of a conversation. It's quite boring to talk about the mechanics of using your web browser. If you want to impact the user in a significant way, whether it be to inform or sell, writing descriptive and informative links is the way to go.
If you're not convinced, check out some other views.
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No matter how much people beat the drum on this no-brainer issue, "click here" seems to be the default call to action for a lot of copywriters.
# Posted By Click Here
| 1/23/08 10:27 AM
I do usability work on a large 4 billion dollar a year website and what I hear most often on the generic links and/or buttons isssue is: "But its our standard". And yes standards are important but in the end clarity is more important because it drives conversion.
# Posted By Usability Princess
| 1/24/08 9:21 AM
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