Don't mess with those links! When you're designing your site,
you should leave your text links in their natural state--blue
and underlined. We all want to be creative and not do the bland,
expected, normal thing. We want to change our links to red,
green, yellow, even black--anything but blue. And we have the
urge to take off those underlines.
Resist the temptation. It's hard. But there's a good reason to
leave them alone.
From the earliest days of the web, text links have been blue.
People intuitively recognize that blue, underlined text is a
link. They know they can click on it.
The combination of blue and underlines means "If I click on
this, it goes somewhere". We're conditioned to recognize those
distinguishing characteristics. We're like Pavlov's dogs--we see
the link and instantly know what it means. There's no time
wasted in trying to figure out whether or not that particular
word or phrase is clickable.
If you mess with the natural appearance of a link, you lose that
instant recognition. People have to stop and think (and often
click) to figure out what your colors mean. I have watched
countless people try to navigate websites and spend half their
time figuring out what's a link and what's not. They have no way
of knowing.
In addition, people scan a page for links. They like to be
active on the internet, and they like to know what they can do.
When they recognize a link in your copy, it's a clear signal of
someplace to go. Visitors want to know what their options are.
It's not a good idea to make life difficult. They'll appreciate
coming across a site that's easy to use and doesn't try to
confuse them (for once!).
It is becoming more acceptable to use other colors for your text
links, as long as they remain underlined. But if you can, it's
still best to use blue. This is because so many people use
underlined, colored text on their sites that is NOT linked.
Visitors have a tendency to get confused. They never know what
to expect. With blue, it's obvious.
Some people have brought up the point that if we stick to the
status quo, there will never be any improvements in the system.
My answer: In a medium like the web, forward movement will never
be a problem. The web continues to push ahead, regardless of
whether your site jumps on the bandwagon or not. There will
always be new growth, no matter what your site does.
The question is, when is it appropriate for your site to adopt
the latest fads? To answer that question, you must keep in mind
your site's purpose and your audience.
If your site is technology oriented, and your visitors are
technically-minded and on the cutting edge, then going for the
latest trend is more appropriate.
But if your site is focused on an average web user, it's
different. If you're sellling a product/service, communicating
information, or driving any specific action, you need to keep
your visitors focused on that goal. You shouldn't distract them
with trying to learn a new set of skills and standards just so
they can navigate your site.
Never move faster than your audience is ready to move. At this
point in time, people still struggle with being able to
recognize links. A majority of people have a difficult time
finding what they want. If they are still struggling, your site
needs to accomodate them.
As more and more people become comfortable with advances in
technology and design style, it will be appropriate to
incorporate those advances into your site. Just wait until your
audience is ready.
Final thoughts: If the context of your site makes it clearly
obvious what is a link and what is not, it is sometimes
permissible to use a color other than blue for your links. For
this to work, your copy should have no colored text that isn't
linked (with the exception of headings) and no underlined text
that isn't linked. Only use another color if you are sure that
visitors won't have any trouble recognizing your links.
The main point: Visitors shouldn't have to think about what is a
link and what isn't. Whatever you can do that maintains instant
recognition is great. Go for it!
About the author:
There are 580.8 million people online. Can they find your
business? Jamie Kiley creates powerful and engaging websites
that make sure YOUR company gets noticed. Visit www.kianta.com
for a free quote.
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