Is An Audience Predisposed to Looking for Certain Links in Specific Locations, Such As Web Version?

Similar to most types of internet marketing, email is heavily reliant on links.  They can help readers navigate your message, connect with you on the social networks, and even visit your website to browse your products or services.  Over the years, readers have not only come to expect them, but expect to find them in certain locations as well.  Understanding that is an aspect of marketing that often gets overlooked so let us go over the importance.

The "Link" To Your Alternate Version

Webmail programs have come a long way in terms of being able to render HTML formatted email.  Sadly, some are still lagging behind.  Because of this, several marketers provide a way for recipients to view both a plaintext and web version of their message.  They typically include a link in the pre-header in hopes that someone who is either viewing the message through the preview pane or has an incapable email program will click and view the web version in HTML.  Since the pre-header is located at the top of the message, this is where readers expect to find it.  Living up to those expectations will increase the chances of your email being digested in its entirety.

Providing a Way Out 

This one is a bit more complex than the web version issue above.  If you take a look at the marketing emails in your inbox, you will probably notice that most of them have an unsubscribe link at the bottom of the message.  While this is a common practice, there are reasons why placing it the top is a better decision.  There is no guarantee that recipients will scroll to the bottom of your message even after opening it, meaning they may not run across your unsubscribe link.  Finding it at the top may not be something they expect, but they are much more likely to see it.  Furthermore, increasing its visibility well help you minimize spam complaints and maintain a clean list.  

The Call to Action

The call to action in your email must be accompanied by a link.  This probably goes without saying, but if it is not, the reader could end up trapped in your message with nowhere to go but out.  For the average reader, the obvious location for a call to action link is the conclusion of the email after they have read everything they need to know and understand what you want them to do next.  However, the actual placement of the link is not as important in this regard.  The most vital aspect here is making sure your call to action coincides with the content the reader finds upon arriving at your site.  

Devise Your Link Strategy

Link placement is essential to email marketing just as it is to SEO.  Instead of optimizing for search engine spiders, you must optimize them for human readers.  The point of this article is to show that even though treating your audience to familiarity has its advantages, it would be wise to consider your options and develop a placement strategy that works best for both parties.

Gary San is a best practices activist and advocate for full service email marketing.