Hyperlinks in your message?

Brian O'Keeffe

When you communicate with your customers do you include hyperlinks? Or do you include the URL directly? Google or https://www.google.com/ ? Or a combination? I am a proponent of always using hyperlinks. Users understand what they are and do not need the URL to spell it out for them. Hyperlinks look more professional and are neater too. 

I was talking to a marketing professional who insisted that hyperlinks should be as few as possible, if at all. (Though did not propose including URLs directly.) I was floored. I assumed the opposite and that they should be included whenever possible and allow the reader to easily access material with one click. 

Do you limit hyperlinks? If so, why? Or do you not use them at all?

Stewart Stokes

It depends but almost always try to use hyperlinks.

What was this other person's reasoning for no hyperlinks?

Jeffrey Kushmerek

I always use hyperlinks. I think marketing has a different use case, but the big issue is attachments, usually

Brian O'Keeffe

That they are not intuitive enough! That some users (most?) need to see the link to click on it. I think that might be accurate for a tiny percentage. Also, too many links "confuse the reader." I take the opposite stance, and hyperlink when appropriate and will have a short message with three, or even four hyperlinks in it.

Brian O'Keeffe

I don't use attachments.

I also prefer HTML pages VS taking a user to a link where they have to download something. I have fought, and lost, that battle several times. Who wants to download? I don't.

Stewart Stokes

For certain, technology-illiterate customer bases this could be very valid.  Hard to know how to think about this for your company, customers, etc without knowing more details.

Also, "# of links to include" is a separate question than "how to include the links".  I agree it's possible to overwhelm people by including too many links.  What is that #? Depends on the details of audience, intent, etc. But I don't think it matters whether that is a  hyperlink or URL.  In fact, I'd argue that hyperlinks are less overwhelming because it reduces the amount of text you have to use.

James Conant

I use hyperlinks with blue and underlined text. I also set them to open another tab instead of redirecting the page they're viewing for those using cloud based email clients. I also place the URL's (though also hyperlinked) at the bottom so that they can be copied and pasted if hyperlinks are blocked systemically.

Harsh Shah

Interesting discussion @Brian O'Keeffe my 2 cents is that both links and hyperlinks are used to redirect an individual from one page to another so use the one which is easier for your audience to understand. I use both methods depending upon the situation and use cases, for example:

• If the URL is self-explanatory and short then I sent a direct link (www.gaingrowretain.com)
• If the URL needs to be highlighted for any future references then also I sent a direct link
• If the URL is long or complex then I create a hyperlink for user's convenience (GGR Community)
• Based on some Marketing or SEO purposes I choose hyperlinks/direct link
• When I have to send so many user guides, videos, screenshots, or similar links together then I use hyperlinks for a better user experience

I hope this would be helpful!

Sean Wilkes

Hyperlinks can be an issue these days with so many Phishing emails. If you have to long press a hyperlink to check the actual link you are being directed to, I'd assume that this would lead to lower click rates. An attached document can also be seen as high risk from a security perspective. 

The other thing that hasn't been called out is that including too many links can affect the deliverability of your email. High percentage of image to text and too many link can affect your ability to get your email into the inbox of the recipient.

mikes somers

Thanks for this useful information! In addition to your landing pages, you should include content related to your industry. Creating case studies, informative articles, and informative eBooks can be beneficial for B2B lead generation. Moreover, social proof can help you build credibility and trust. Its popularity is increasing because it is more reliable than a product's price. Further, a case study can be easily shared on social media or on your website Belkins' io. The reader will read the testimonials and then decide whether to purchase the product or service. As a sales rep, you need to be as efficient as possible. A third of your day is spent making sales. This means that generating new leads is a crucial part of your daily routine. Besides, B2B lead generation companies have a lot of expertise in analyzing and optimizing landing pages. They use CTA buttons and other tools that help convert visitors into leads. These tools are extremely effective in increasing the conversion rate of your website.
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mikes somers
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Original Message:
Sent: 03-12-2022 06:01
From: Harsh Shah
Subject: Hyperlinks in your message?

Interesting discussion @Brian O'Keeffe my 2 cents is that both links and hyperlinks are used to redirect an individual from one page to another so use the one which is easier for your audience to understand. I use both methods depending upon the situation and use cases, for example:

• If the URL is self-explanatory and short then I sent a direct link (www.gaingrowretain.com)
• If the URL needs to be highlighted for any future references then also I sent a direct link
• If the URL is long or complex then I create a hyperlink for user's convenience (GGR Community)
• Based on some Marketing or SEO purposes I choose hyperlinks/direct link
• When I have to send so many user guides, videos, screenshots, or similar links together then I use hyperlinks for a better user experience

I hope this would be helpful!