| The importance of links in a web page should be | | | | slightly more specific information than the previous one, |
| obvious to any designer, whether experienced or not. | | | | and so on, allowing viewers to slowly refine their |
| Your clients will undoubtedly request that links be | | | | search. |
| placed in the sites you create for them and your web | | | | Web design Tip #3: How to Write Links and Setting |
| design company will ensure that you do so. Designers | | | | Them |
| must not forget that the overall content of a site is not | | | | Some good guidelines to follow when creating links are |
| limited to the text, but includes images, links and all the | | | | shown below. |
| other relevant components of a properly designed | | | | • The log files of your website will contain |
| web page. | | | | information regarding the most common search terms |
| In Web Design Links Reinforce Scannability | | | | used by visitors to your site. Try to identify these |
| Online visitors to a site are almost always drawn first | | | | terms and include them in your web pages as links to |
| to images. Links are the next thing that they notice, | | | | the other parts of your site. |
| because they are always underlined and coloured | | | | • You should ensure that links lead to the |
| differently from the rest of the text. Your web design | | | | pages that they are supposed, and not elsewhere. |
| company is likely to instruct you to make sure that links | | | | Links that do not lead readers to the pages that they |
| included in each web page catch the attention of | | | | expect to visit do not form a very good impression of |
| viewers. Links, in addition to good textual content, will | | | | your client or your web design company and this will |
| allow readers to scan through your web page quickly. | | | | not be good for your reputation as a designer. |
| Links will only do this effectively if they are | | | | Readers who feel that they have been tricked will |
| well-worded and have some relevance to the content | | | | likely leave the site and not come back again. |
| of the rest of the web site. Your web design | | | | • Make the text of your links clear and |
| company will probably make an effort to emphasize | | | | concise. And if they state that they link to something |
| the need for this. | | | | such as an e-book, phrase them such that there is no |
| Web design Tip #1: Links on Your Home Page | | | | mistaking where the link should lead. "This e-book..." is a |
| A good web site should always contain links to all the | | | | good example of a link that should lead to an e-book, |
| other parts of the site on its home page, unless the | | | | and not some other web page. |
| entire site consists of only a single page. Most visitors | | | | • Links should always serve a clear purpose. |
| to the site are likely to simply scan through the content | | | | If you have included a link in a web page and are |
| of the home page, so it is important to ensure that the | | | | unable to clearly define the purpose of the link, then it |
| text of each link clearly describes the part of the site | | | | should be removed. Always keep in mind that the |
| that it links to. Your links must also stand out, so avoid | | | | purpose of your web design company is to provide |
| having a home page comprised solely of links and no | | | | services to both your clients and readers so make |
| other text. Link titles should also be plain and | | | | sure you only include links that are important. |
| straightforward, giving readers a very clear description | | | | Both your Web Design company and your clients will |
| of where the link will lead. Your web design company | | | | definitely appreciate it if you take the effort to make |
| will undoubtedly be happy if you also include links to | | | | sure that links are as effective and well-integrated into |
| other general pages found on your website. | | | | the website content as possible. The text that |
| Web design Tip #2: General to Specific is the Way to | | | | surrounds a link should contain relevant and useful |
| Go | | | | information, and the link itself should be related to the |
| Online users who are trying to find specific information | | | | surrounding text, and be very clear in its purpose. If a |
| will generally follow the same sort of search pattern - | | | | link is going to direct readers to another page |
| they will start their search with general terms that will | | | | composed entirely of other links, then the first link |
| get more and more specific as they discover new | | | | should clearly state that it leads to a another page full |
| information. Links should operate on the same logic, | | | | of links. |
| leading the viewer from each page to a page that has | | | | |