k8

External links at a glance

Site Genre: Pattern Group k

magnify imageFigure K8.1 External links point to other Web sites and let people see how your Web site is connected with other people, places, and things. Some external links in this screen shot include the related stock quotes on the left, the content module on the bottom left labeled ELSEWHERE ON THE WEB, and the link to Rite Aid under On the Net near the bottom.

Background

It can be difficult for customers to know if a link points to something in your Web site or goes to an outside site. Including links to external Web sites can improve your credibility, as in GRASSROOTS INFORMATION SITES (A6), but it also makes it easy for customers to leave your Web site unintentionally. This pattern explains some techniques for organizing external links so that there are no surprises for your customers.

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PROBLEM

Most sites have links to other Web sites. These external links need to be treated in a special manner so that customers understand that they lead to other Web sites that are not managed by the current Web site.

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SOLUTION

magnify image Figure K8.2 Group external links at the end of a page (left) or in a module separated from the actual content (right).

External links can help build trust and credibility among your customers, while reducing the amount of work required to create new content. Take special care to ask permission from external site operators, and learn their policies on page addresses and dynamic content creation so that you can avoid most link rot. Let your customers know that they’re about to be sent to an external site by explicitly marking each link, or by putting external links in a well-marked area on your page. Use pop-up windows for external links only when the context of your site must be maintained so that customers don’t lose their place in a process.

Other Patterns to Consider

Use DESCRIPTIVE, LONGER LINK NAMES (K9) so that customers will know that they’re going to another site, or put all external links in their own CONTENT MODULES (D2).

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