Writing effective hyperlinks: critique and recommendation

It’s hard for me to grasp that in 2013 we still need to talk about “click here” as a hyperlink. (Just say No!)

Look at this promotional email from Top Food & Drug:

Where do your eyes land?

Those two bold and red “click here” links along with top-foods.com and Contact Us … right?

Ask yourself: why might a customer be reading this section of an email about promotions?

Here are some questions she might have:

• What are the dates for the sale?
• How do I unsubscribe?
• How do I change my email address?
• Why am I receiving this email from Top Food & Drug?

The questions are answered in the email, but with a heavy cognitive load. This is a friction-full, not friction-less, experience. (A cynic might say the friction is intentional because it makes it less likely that the customer will leave.)

How might this information be presented in a more customer-focused manner, one that helps her quickly answer her questions?

• Make the type darker; that light gray type has very little contrast.
• Make the hyperlinks meaningful; use key words and verbs and ditch “click here.” Not only is “click here” meaningless for people using accessible technology, it’s meaningless for anyone scanning a page looking for trigger words, words than complete the task. As this example shows, hyperlinks are signposts; craft them well.
• Chunk (make it scannable) the copy.

Here’s one possible rewrite that is scannable (key chunks of information as bullet points) with actionable hyperlinks that answer reader questions:

• Prices effective 9am March 27 – midnight April 2, 2013.
• Weekly Flyers & promotions are an opt-in, recurring email from TOP Food & Drug; see our privacy policy.
• Change your TOP Connection settings or unsubscribe from these emails.
• Please direct any questions or comments about our service to our Contact Us page.

This e-mail was sent on behalf of TOP Food & Drug (top-foods.com) by Accelitec|interact through enrollment in the TOP Connection program. If you have questions, please call (877) 867-3850.

How else might this be redesigned or rewritten?