Practical Sales Training™ > How To Lose The Sale > Broken Links
What is it?
A broken link occurs when a buyer clicks expecting to reach information, book a meeting, view proof, or complete a purchase, and instead encounters an error, missing page, outdated destination, or incorrect redirect.
This might appear as a 404 page, an expired booking calendar, a removed download, or a link that leads somewhere unrelated to what was promised.
From a technical perspective, it is a small fault. From a buyer’s perspective, it raises an important question about dependability.
If the next step does not work, confidence begins to weaken.
How does it work?
Buying decisions rely on continuity. Each step reassures the buyer that progress is smooth and intentional.
When a link fails, that continuity breaks.
The buyer must suddenly decide whether to retry, search manually, return later, or abandon the process entirely. Most choose the easiest option, which is often to stop.
More importantly, broken links introduce uncertainty. They suggest outdated information, lack of attention, or operational disorganisation. Even when the offer itself remains strong, credibility absorbs the impact.
The sale is rarely lost through frustration alone. It is lost because momentum disappears and trust quietly declines.
How can you avoid it?
Regularly test buyer pathways
The most important links are those connected to action. Booking pages, payment links, proposals, downloads, and contact routes should be checked frequently from a buyer’s perspective rather than an internal one.
Following the journey yourself often reveals issues automation misses.
Treat links as part of the sales process
Links are not administrative details. They are active conversion points. Every click represents intent, and intent should never meet friction.
Maintaining them deserves the same attention as messaging or pricing.
Update redirects when pages change
Content evolves over time, but older links continue to circulate through emails, social posts, search results, and shared conversations. Redirecting retired pages preserves continuity and protects past marketing effort.
Monitor automated systems
Calendar tools, downloadable resources, gated content, and integrations can fail silently. Periodic checks ensure that systems still behave as expected.
Provide recovery routes
Even with good maintenance, occasional errors happen. Clear navigation, working contact options, or helpful fallback pages allow buyers to continue rather than exit.
The research
User experience research shows that website errors and technical failures are a measurable cause of abandonment, with 17% of online shoppers citing website errors or crashes as a direct reason for leaving without completing a purchase.
Source: Contentsquare Digital Experience Benchmarks
https://contentsquare.com/guides/cart-abandonment/stats/
Example
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