Sophie’s campaign for clear communication
If you Googled ‘Click here’ in the early 2000s you got the download page for Acrobat Reader. In those days, every website had screes of PDF documents on their pages and obligingly included a link to download the reader – just in case this was the first PDF you’d downloaded. The text for that link was invariably “Click Here”.
We’ve come a long way since then. Most of our web content is in HTML, not PDF, and we confidently assume that most browsers can read PDFs if we need to include one.
But we still love ‘Click here’ and its friends ‘Read More’, ‘More Details’ and my personal favourite ‘More’.
Why?
I know we’re all tailoring our content to be Mobile First and satisfy our smart phone addicted millennials and Gen Zs. But are we also assuming they have psychic powers and can guess what content we’re hiding behind our one-word, generic link labels?
I don’t want to use the word lazy, but when I see these generic link shortcuts, I am sorely tempted.
Do your readers (and me) a favour. Splash out and – write link labels that actually describe the pages they link to.
The lift in usability, conversion and NPS for your site will be your just reward.
The Web Content Manger 
As a Gen X guy, I’m totally inclined to agree with you! Personally, I hate “mystery links” that make me hesitate every time I’m about to tap the screen. Unfortunately, it seems like this trend is indeed the new normal. I’ve worked with dev teams who assured everyone that generic link labels instinctively appeal to the “digital native” crowd… because their financial backers often characterize those users as “lazy and more gullible.”
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Oh Darius – line those devs up and shoot them 😳 That is unforgivable!! They are WRONG. Gen Y and the Millennials may be many things but gullible isn’t one of them. Fight the clear communication fight and push back on those devs 😄
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I hear you loud and clear! But I can’t blame the devs… they’re in the same boat as me, just trying to earn a living. It’s their investors who are truly twisted.
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I shouldn’t laugh but I see your point. HIPPOs are a pain!
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Most of the work was done in China… suffice it to say, I’m currently gearing up to move back to the USA for good. I’ll be enjoying a good laugh when that day comes!
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Ooohhh I see. That’s quite an eye opener for an Aussie chick like me
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People all around the world would benefit from knowing what really goes on in China… but don’t take my word for it, because I spent almost 15 years blinded by misguided optimism, before I finally opened my eyes. What a dummy. Heh
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It is very easy to accept optimism and very hard to challenge it against the flow
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