Are Link Previews Important for UX and Engagement?
Yes — link previews significantly impact user trust, click-through rates (CTR), and brand perception.
Flyyer’s UX research shows that well-designed previews increase CTR by up to 57.6% and improve content relevance and trust.
Why Do Link Previews Matter in Social Sharing?
Users ignore or distrust links that lack visual context.
Text-only links or previews that cut off key information lead to:
- Lower CTR
- Reduced user confidence
- Missed engagement opportunities
📌 Example: A cut-off preview showing “NEAKER STO” instead of “SNEAKER STORE” confuses the message.
What Does Data Say About Social Traffic?
According to Episerver’s 2020 Retail Benchmark Report, social traffic grew from 4% to 8% between 2018 and 2019.
Even though this share is still small, it’s doubling — and in digital marketing, that’s massive.
| Traffic Source | Trend (2019) |
| Organic Search | Declining |
| Paid Search | Declining |
| Social Media | Increasing (x2 in 1 year) |
What Prevents Users From Clicking Links?
Two dominant reasons:
- Lack of interest (generic headlines or poor imagery)
- Lack of trust (no preview, long URLs, unknown sender)
🔍 Columbia University study:
→ 59% of users ignore shared content
🔍 Facebook UX study:
→ 80% prefer previews with clear headlines
What Was Flyyer’s Research Approach?
We conducted two studies:
- Remote interviews with 27 users using an interactive Twitter prototype.
- A two-part survey with 203 respondents about preview preferences.
What Did the Interviews Reveal?
We simulated social scenarios with default previews vs. Flyyer previews.
Users were asked to scroll, click what caught their eye, and explain decisions.
Test 1: Scroll feed → Flyyer previews increased click-through rate by 57.6%
Test 2: Apartment search scenario → Flyyer previews were preferred 62.5% of the time
Test 3: Shared links in chat → 85% chose Flyyer previews for their usefulness and clarity
📌 Insight: Users ignored links with no previews.
📌 Finding: Logos built trust. Visuals triggered stronger interest (e.g. cravings from ice cream previews).
What Did the Survey Reveal?
Sharing Behavior
| Behavior | % of Users |
| Share links with friends | 78% |
| Do this frequently | 50%+ of sharers |
| Click links “only sometimes” | 70.9% |
Users base clicks on interest and trust. These depend on:
- Preview image
- Informational text
- URL structure
📌 Venn Diagram Insight: Image + Info + URL sit at the center of Trust and Interest.
What Makes a Preview Click-Worthy?
For Products:
- Image
- Price
- Description
- Logo
- Sale
- Shipping
For Articles:
- Headline
- Image
- Description
- Logo
- Type
- Author
How Do Design Variations Affect Perception?
We presented 4 versions of the same news preview with varying details.
🏆 Top choice (44.3%):
– Headline
– Date on bottom right
– News category label
📌 Insight: Information placed on the left side of the image is processed more efficiently.
Can Images Change Brand Perception?
Yes. We tested this with an alcohol brand:
- Default preview = Youthful and Relaxed
- Flyyer-designed preview = Classy and Premium
📌 Visual context transforms brand personality.
What Preview Elements Do Users Prefer?
When choosing between two apartment previews:
| Preview Elements | % Preference |
| Price + Location | 65.1% |
| Rooms + Square Meters Only | 34.9% |
| Price + Location inside image | 75.4% |
| Same data, but outside image | 24.6% |
📌 Conclusion: Relevant data shown inside the image outperforms generic previews.
Do Users Read the Text Below Previews?
Yes — 77% said they read descriptions under previews.
However, the image + headline still carry the most visual weight.
📌 Tip: Combine strong imagery with concise, informative text for maximum engagement.
Summary: Key UX Insights from Our Research
| Insight | Value |
| Flyyer previews doubled CTR | +57.6% increase in interactions |
| Most users ignore links without previews | Previews = trust + context |
| Images with relevant info (price, location) drive clicks | Visual info ≫ generic description |
| Logos boost perceived trust | Brand identity in preview matters |
| Proper image use affects brand perception | Same brand, different impression |
| Left-aligned info aids readability | Consistent with eye-movement theory |
| Article previews need date, category, and headline clarity | Format matters as much as content |
Final Thoughts: Should You Prioritize Link Previews?
Yes — link previews are a conversion lever, not an afterthought.
They influence trust, engagement, and perception in under a second.
📌 Don’t assume users “just get it.” Design the preview like it’s your landing page.
What’s the Next Step?
✅ Use Flyyer to design optimized link previews for your content, products, or campaigns.
🎯 Test versions, measure results, and build previews that trigger action.
👉 Get started now or contact our team for a custom onboarding plan.
Let your content stand out from the moment it’s shared.
