nick usborne's guide to online copywriting
For information on my coaching service for freelancers copywriters, visit:
Where and how to place your links in a 2-column HTML email.
When companies send out promotional emails, they usually create them in HTML, so they can feature product photos and make the whole email look more attractive.
(And, of course, they use HTML so they can track the performance of each email, collecting data on open rates, click-throughs and unsubscribe rates.)
Often, these emails will have two columns, beneath a header area, a little like a miniature web site page.
There is usually a left or right side narrow column, where you’ll find product photos and link buttons.
And then the main column, in which you’ll read the main sales text.
You have probably seen emails like this, whether they are promoting books, travel, software, courses and reports or a host of other products and services.
So, where is the best place to put your links in order to maximize click-through rates?
I haven’t seen nearly enough testing on this topic, but I have seen quite a bit, for a variety of different products and services.
And the results of what I have seen so far pretty much tally with what you would expect to find if testing a web page of similar design.
This may not be the last word on the subject, but if you follow these tips, you won’t go far wrong:
1. Links in the side columns will not perform as well as those in the center column, even if they are accompanied by nice product photos.
2. In the main column a simple best practice is to place a text link early on in the text as well as at the end.
3. When writing the text links, a descriptive link will usually out-perform a shorter, instructional link. In other words, “save 20% on our end-of-season Sea Kayaks” will likely do better than “buy now” or even “check out our low prices”.
4. If you are selling more than one product in your email, you will probably get a higher click-through on the first product mentioned, and the lowest click-through on the last. (This is generally true, but definitely not true all of the time.)
As you can see, I have used plenty of qualifiers like “usually” and “likely”.
The best practices I describe are true of what I have seen overall.
That said, I also see metrics on emails that fly in the face of all these suggestions.
How come? I don’t know.
But I do know that it’s time to apply the same kind of energy and discipline to testing and tracking emails as we do with new landing pages.
Testing conversion rates on landing pages is all the rage right now. And that’s because it’s so easy to track, measure and report on immediate revenue increases from these pages.
But emails can generate immediate revenues too.
It’s time that more companies put email analytics processes in place.
Resource Reviews:
This is an outstanding course for any freelancer who wants to increase his or her revenues by offering both writing AND design services to small business. There is a huge demand for single-source marketing services, and this course will show you how to succeed.
Read my review of Desktop Marketing here...
The Freelance Copywriter Fee & Compensation Survey, Volume 2.
Find out how much to charge for your next copywriting job. Read my review of this survey here...
Self Publishing – Your complete business plan for creating a life without borders. By Gary Scott.
A remarkable program for anyone who is serious about building a self-publishing business. If you just want to write a flash-in-the-pan ebook, this isn't for you.
But if you want to build a self-publishing business, based on a process that has been refined and proven over a span of 30 years, get a copy today.
Find out more..
Sign up for the Excess Voice Newsletter and get this 35-page Guide FREE.
Writing For the Web #1
7 Challenges every Writer and Copywriter faces when writing for the Web
Sign up NOW and I'll send you the link where you can download this 35-page guide...
(Your email address will be used only for the purpose of sending you this newsletter, and you'll be free to unsubscribe at any time.)
My Courses and Guides
Breakthrough Freelance Success - a course for ambitious freelancers.
Nick Usborne's How to Write Your Own Money-Making Websites.
Copywriting 2.0 - Your Complete Guide to Writing Web Copy that Converts
Nick Usborne's
Writing Kick-Ass Website Sales Copy
A guide to help writers and copywriters increase their levels of productivity.
