This week, some Twitter users received emails from the social network inviting them to create a Website Card.
“A Website Card makes it easy to connect [Twitter with your site] and boost your traffic and conversions,” the email stated.
“Compared to just tweeting out a link, it’s a simple and creative way to give users more context about your site. In fact, our data shows that using a Website Card drives 43% more engagement.”
But what is a Website Card?
Website Cards were introduced in April 2014 as a way to link from tweets to corporate websites, and as a means to increase engagement and clickthrough traffic.
They are attached to promoted tweets, and look similar to an ordinary search engine result – a brief website title is displayed along with a button to click or tap in order to visit the website.
Creating a Website Card starts in the Twitter Ads section of a business user’s account, under Cards Manager, and the usual options for targeting and budgeting should apply.
Analytics on Twitter itself include every click or tap – which may vary from other third-party analytics platforms based on the page that subsequently loads.
Significantly, Website Cards work on both desktop and mobile (with a slightly different appearance), allowing mobile users to be reached too.