How to ruin credibility and drive consumers away with just a headline

Headlines, they can either make or break the drive to your Website.  Usually, in this digital age they are that topic line that is placed in a Facebook or Google Plus posting or email message, and is intended to drive users to your Website to read the Article.

But did you know that it’s quite possible to actually ruin a Website’s credibility by picking the wrong wording?  This actually happened with one of the daily email newsletters that I’m subscribed to, just earlier this week.

On October 29th, I opened my email inbox to find this headline from CNET’s Insider newsletter

Breaking: CNET’s review of Apple’s iPad Air

Clicking on the story, returned a pretty standard technological review of Apple’s new tablet, leaving me to ask one major question?

HOW THE HECK IS A BASIC REVIEW OF A NEW TABLET BREAKING NEWS?

Had the new device seen a very critical issue with it, then it’s quite possible that their headline for the email Newsletter would have been fitting, but because this was not the case then their choice of subject line actually qualifies as something we have discussed in this Blog before “Click-bait”

And the problem with Click-Bait? Well lets just put it this way, Do you buy the National Enquirer at the checkout of your local store and then wonder why you wasted your money on the purchase? Online time is the currency and a user can be left with that same feeling, leaving them choosing to bypass your Website in the future.