There are two types of links every website contains: internal links like this one about why businesses should monitor Yelp reviews and external links like this next one that points to Britney Spears’ tour dates.
If you click the internal link, your browser automatically moves from here to there as you remain within the ariwriter.com domain. If you click the external link (at least the way I manually configured it), a new window is forcibly opened on your browser so you remain looking here and there simultaneously.
Usability studies and popular opinion dictate every link should act like the internal one above; and that you, not me, should be in charge of whether a link opens in a new window or not. It’s your browser and you retain the rights to how you prefer to surf the web. In nearly every web browser, you can mouse over the selected link and view the destination URL in the status bar at the browser’s bottom. If you’re like me, you will click your right mouse button and select the appropriate action to open the link in a new window or tab, thereby maintaining focus on the current window.
Michael Martin and Darren Rowse, respectively, shared reasons on their blogs in 2007 (though they could have easily been written last month) why forcing users’ browsers to open new windows reflects poorly on friendly web design involving links.
Thus, my manual insertion of the target=”_blank” code into the a href HTML reference for Britney’s international tour is frowned upon, in part because your browser has a Back button and you should be smart enough to know when and how to click it, as Jacob Nielsen argued in 1999 in his evergreen list of 10 web design mistakes.
Opening up new browser windows is like a vacuum cleaner sales person who starts a visit by emptying an ash tray on the customer’s carpet. Don’t pollute my screen with any more windows, thanks (particularly since current operating systems have miserable window management). If I want a new window, I will open it myself!
Designers open new browser windows on the theory that it keeps users on their site. But even disregarding the user-hostile message implied in taking over the user’s machine, the strategy is self-defeating since it disables the Back button which is the normal way users return to previous sites. Users often don’t notice that a new window has opened, especially if they are using a small monitor where the windows are maximized to fill up the screen. So a user who tries to return to the origin will be confused by a grayed out Back button.
During a GoogleTalk conversation with John Haydon yesterday, we chatted about this topic. I wrote how I’ve historically been against links opening in new windows, though noting I sporadically opt to make this decision for you; and his response was he’d prefer to keep internal links in its own window — and only enable new windows to open for external links. Musing to myself, I browsed through a list of Wordpress plugins that do the trick and briefly experimented with activating one of them, but ultimately decided to maintain the status quo and let you surf the web however you see fit.
Thoughts? Would you like to be in control of what you click and how your browser experience changes? Or, are you OK when windows open out of seemingly nowhere?
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{ 23 comments… read them below or add one }
It’s fine with me to open a new browser to send me to an external site. No probs!
From Ivan Walsh to you: 5 Careers Opportunities for IT Professionals in China
Ari,
You know I never, ever thought a second about how links should open for visitors. Well, at least no further than deciding to make them open a new window because I did not want them to go away from my site. You are making this blogging thing more complicated for me. Catering to those pesky readers can get annoying.
Not only is target=”_blank” frowned upon, it’s actually been deprecated in the HTML specifications for the past 4 or 5 years. If you were a web geek and tried to validate the code on your page, it would fail. Thou shalt not control your users’ experience!
Popping up a different window can be confusing for users, particularly those who use the back button to navigate. You’ve ruined their historical path by sending them off in a different direction. This is particularly important for those of us who’ve been involved in the Web Accessibility community: someone who is using assistive technology like a screen reader will get very disoriented if you force their behavior.
From Andrea Hill to you: You Can’t Hurt Coke’s Feelings
I don’t mind if a site takes me to a new window. In fact, I have to do this on my home page because of a box that my developer added.
I can see why some people might take offense but at least I’m consistent.
From Phil Simon to you: Now Available for Download: Chapter 1 of The Next Wave of Technologies
Hi Ari,
Something I’ve used before in creating websites is an icon next to a link that indicates it is an external link. Similar to how Wikipedia does on links in its reference sections – a square with a diagonal arrow coming out the top corner. This let’s user know they are navigating away from the site.
While I can definitely understand the point of user desire for control, as a marketer, I also understand businesses wanting some control and a level of comfort that external links are not deterring users away from some type of conversion or action said business wants them to take. On my projects, I recommend including an icon that indicates a link is to an external site, but I’ve had projects where external links are mandated to open in a new window.
Perhaps we should be standardizing a second “new window” icon that either warns that a new window will be opened or will only open a new window when the icon (not the link) is clicked.
Just something to noodle on.
Cheers,
Patrick
The irony of your comment is when I mentioned I briefly evaluated a plugin, it was this one about external links that created such an icon (as the link shares) for those links. Although the plugin can be administratively tweaked to only show the icon and not enact the new window/tab, I deactivated the plugin as I’d prefer a htaccess script or custom Wordpress function than a plugin; less server load.
My website has a link to an outside store that sells books about the content of my website, I prefer to open a new window to the user, because he can see that it opened another one and if he starts browsing the bookstore site, if he uses the back button to come back to my website, he’ll have to starting clicking back a lot, so opening a new window I think is better.
We are assuming that all our readers know how to control their browser behavior. Those who do can choose for themselves. Validation not withstanding, for those who don’t know how I see no harm in choosing for them.
If you have a blog or ecommerce site and want to make sure your visitors don’t click away and forget to return there is a strong arugment in favor of having some external links open in a new window.
Having your internal inks open new windows though it terribly annoying and best avoided.
From Gail @ KeywordLuv to you: My Review of The New Community Rules
I think I do what you do (that you do so well) as far as forcing a new window for external links. I love the conversation cause Andrea did give me something new to consider. I’m not going to change my behavior yet though because I know personally I’m more knowledgeable than lots of my peers however my clients and even I don’t remember how we move through cyber space sometimes. So I personally like links to open new windows, so I have my own experience set that way. I can keep the new window open to read later if I find it interesting or just close it, but it doesn’t make me loose where I was. I can close a window more readily than I can hit back button 10 times to find the page I was looking for and lost.
I think there is a big divide in those who really know and take the time to set up their own experience in their computer and those who don’t even know where the default button is that says hey I do want links to open in a new window. Or even “What you say, a browser?”
I choose to not change my decision yet… my mind is still open.
I think everyone who does a little writing on web development or blogging has a post that describes opening a new window vs leaving users on the same page with an anchors target attribute. I know I have one I titled ‘How to keep visitors on your site’. The title makes my stance on this in this particular post obvious.
There have always been two schools of thought on this, and the other commentators here have shown what they are. Either it’s good, or it’s bad.
My opinion is that not all web users are savvy, and since I happen to write mostly on how to do stuff in an instructional format, the links I refer to are for reference, mostly. When that is the case, and I only want to compare or show something to the reader in a context that will continue forward past the viewing of the link, I’ll open the destination in a new window. My thinking is that it’s easier for the end user to check out what I’m talking about and then close the new window rather than leave my page entirely and click back.
Yeah, most people will be smart enough to handle this operation themselves, but what I find through my own experience and my own personal preferences is that I constantly right-click and open in a new window myself because I don’t know if the author has set things up to open in a new window. I find it a convenience when they do, especially when I’m trying to follow along with a post and teach myself something.
I like what Patrick is saying above, about the icon next to the link. In fact, I might also adopt that for my own site eventually, so long as I remain in control of where the icon displays….wouldn’t want it next to a 125 ad, skewing the design right?
Also like Chuck said above, I can’t trust that my end users know how to nav around as well as I might. So I try to accommodate them as best I can. I really don’t see this as a big usability issue at all. In fact, it’s pretty minor. I will say though that abusing this power is a huge usability issue. Not every link deserves to be opened in a new window.
From Wayne John @ Southern California to you: Establish a local WordPress development environment using WampServer
This discussion is somthing I’ve been pondering over (off and on!) for the last 2 months. I didn’t know what the ‘correct’ answer was and started out following the protocol you talk about at the start. However, more recently, I noticed some of my favourite sites not opening new windows for external links so I started doing that. I’ve seen no fall in traffic stats (although am very new at looking at them so that’s not much to go by
)
As an aside, if I were reading a site that I was really enjoying, having to click ‘back’ wouldn’t deter me from returning. The tells me that if the content is compelling, your visitors will remain, regardless of how links are managaed.
From Eleanor Edwards @ UK Charity GiveABrick to you: 5 Keys to Lock Your Worries Away
Customers have different perceptions. But what the most important is we should follow on the majority, of course it makes us a lot of money. There are some customers likes to open into a new window and there are also some that like to stay in the page….
I have not studied yet the which of them falls…but we should have to focus on the majority.
From Marian@Outbound Telemarketing to you: Ethical Issues in Outsourcing Outbound Telemarketing Services
Links on The Broad Brush open in the same window. There are a few exceptions where I’d like the user to just go on and see something.
Other times it’s appropriate to have that window open and the blog for example when there’s something in the other window the reader needs to see in context but without having to leave the middle of the blog post.
For the record, there is no official web rule. (that’s for everyone that thought there was.) A bigger rule is be consistent within the blog.
Additionally, if the blog 99% of the time opens links in the same window, it might be nice to put a note to links that open in a fresh window.
To be noted, establishing that initial choice may be a bigger function of what your blog is about as well. Some blogs I read I expect to jump out to another window for certain types of content.
Cheers,
Todd @tojosan Jordan
From Todd Jordan @ Social Networking Tips to you: Amazon Overshares
Very compelling, which is sometimes a bad thing…thanks for making me think!
I’ve always written for beginners and always had every link, internal/external, open in a new window. As some have stated above, those new might not know anything about it.
That accompanied by the ever more fear of people leaving, even on the same site. lol
Now I dunno, internal same-external new? We shall see…
From Dennis Edell to you: DEDC Updates – What the (Near) Future Holds for You and I!
I do the same thing you do; if it’s internal, I leave the link alone, and if it’s external I put in the code to open a new window. True, there’s this thing about leaving it up to the user, but there’s also the reality that most users don’t know how to open a separate window even if they wanted to. I’d rather not give them a reason to leave my site and not come back because now they’re engaged in something else; at least our way, people will still have our post there to help them remember where they started.
From Mitch to you: Commentary On A Comments Post
Actually Mitch, I was saying I was thinking of doing it that way, right now EVERY link is new window.
From Dennis Edell to you: DEDC Updates – What the (Near) Future Holds for You and I!
I remember us talking about that a long time ago, Dennis; glad you’re thinking of leaving the dark side! lol
From Mitch to you: Are You Missing The “Social” Part Of Social Media?
LOL I definitely wouldn’t call it that. My links are that way thinking of newbies; even you said most don’t know what to do with them.
From Dennis Edell to you: DEDC Updates – What the (Near) Future Holds for You and I!
Great! Thanks for explaining the difference in detail. That clears up a lot for me! Thanks.
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Some of the sites I visit, do have every link you click opens in a new window. This is kind of a pain to me. I agree with Gail, if you have a site that you are trying to keep visitors on, you should open in a new window any external links. All internal links to posts or other pages on your site should not open new windows.
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Tim – My last post was on this also, I was surprised to see the majority like all new windows.
From Dennis Edell to you: How Contextual Links will Open On DEDC – My Setup FINALIZED!
I think that when site owners configure links to always open in a new window, they frequently assume that the visitor has a short attention span. If your content is good, they will stay and keep reading.
From Joe O’Neil to you: Bilingual Answering Service Growing Despite Arizona Immigration Law
I sometimes force things to open in a new window, but it’s the exception to the norm and there’s always a rationale behind it.
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