Creating Effective Web Links
Posted: September 13, 2022 | Author: Mark Whittaker | Read Time: 2 minutes
Links are used to move between pages and sites on the web. On SUU's website, there's a high chance that the content is driving users towards a specific goal, whether that be to find information about upcoming events, to arrange a campus tour, or to schedule an appointment. Effective links can help all users accomplish their goals. This post will cover methods to build better links, as well as some mistakes we can avoid.
Effective Links
The goal for most pages is for users to find information they are looking for or to perform an action. One of the best ways to do this is through link text that is descriptive of the link's destination and/or the action that will occur when the link is used.
Links can be a simple phrase or the name of the page a user will be taken to:
- Bad:
- Good:
A call to action is a special link that encourages a user towards a specific task. These should be short, active phrases.
- Bad:
- Good:
Remember: A good link should let users know what is going to happen next.
Things to Avoid
Sometimes, links can obstruct a user and result in a poor user experience. A user is likely to leave a website if they cannot easily find what they are looking for. These examples are particularly harmful for users of screen readers or other assistive technology.
Avoid using a URL as the link text. Links for email addresses or phone numbers are acceptable. URLs are often hard to read, and can be incomprehensible when read by screen readers.
Link text should be unique. Users of assistive technology can skim the content for just the links on a page, and repeated text will not have the surrounding context that might otherwise make sense of the link's purpose.
- Bad:
- Good:
Don't use "Click Here": This is a common phrase used for links, but is not a very effective link because it is not descriptive of its purpose. Additionally, it is less accurate as more and more users are tapping links on their phone. Descriptive links are also more inclusive because there are users who are physically unable to tap or click and use other assistive technology to navigate the web.
If you have any questions or comments about this post, or if there's anything you'd like to learn more about, feel free to contact us at webservies@suu.edu.