![]() | |
![]() |
Leave Those Links Blue!
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. Get a quick, free web design tip every two weeks--sign up for Jamie's newsletter: http://www.kianta.com/newsletter.php
MORE RESOURCES: Why Your Business Needs a Web Design Agency in Portland StartupGuys.net Web Development Companies - Best in Texas 2023 Read IT Quik How Automation is Changing the Landscape of Web Development Robotics and Automation News Texas Web Design Unveils Innovative Design Solutions for ... Digital Journal Sagentic Web Design Celebrates 20 Years of Building Strong Online Presence for Businesses and Organizations Canon City Daily Record Global Responsive Web Design Services Market Research Report ... Los Alamos Monitor 10 Web Design Trends to Follow in 2023 to Create a Sales-Friendly ... Digital Information World Best AI Tools for Web Designers (2023) MarkTechPost Top 10 Web Development Companies in USA 2023 Read IT Quik Capturing codes: New England 7th graders learn web design The Dickinson Press Invent'a Magenta Lexology Web development versus web design: What's the difference? Border Chronicle What is most important when designed UI for eCommerce? Rebellion Research Multimedia Production Option Brookdale Community College Newsroom Bellevue Responsive Web Design Agency With Expert Lead ... Digital Journal Meet Ashley Palmer, artist, web designer, musician and teacher Canton Repository Patrick Martinec Obituary (2023) Legacy.com SEO Is a Part of Standard Web Design LA Progressive Vibes Design Delivers Expert Web Design Services & More With a ... - The Australian Business Journal Vibes Design Delivers Expert Web Design Services & More With a ... The Australian Business Journal #JAKKS Pacific Reveals New The Super Mario Bros. Movie Toys ... Action Figure Insider Action Figure Insider » Hasbro Star Wars + Indiana Jones @ Star ... Action Figure Insider Need help with mysqli insert - PHP SitePoint The Best Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus Cases Screen Rant New Brooklyn partnership bridging digital divide in underserved ... News 12 Brooklyn Innovate Alabama awards more than $3M to small businesses Yellowhammer News Best Low-Code and No-Code Platforms Designmodo Supreme Court seems poised to side with Colorado web designer in ... Colorado Public Radio 10 Steps to Choosing the Best Web Design Firm The Local Ne.ws Retailers are using sneaky web design to catch you out Creative Bloq Simple Steps to Mobile-first Web Design Practical Ecommerce 20 Free Web Design Tools from Fall 2022 Practical Ecommerce 11 Best AI Tools for Web Designers Designmodo Top Web Design Trends For 2023 StartupGuys.net 7 AI Writing Tools on Writesonic for Web Design MUO - MakeUseOf Big Tech battles impending CA web design law Capitol Weekly How to Convert Any Website Into a Figma Design MUO - MakeUseOf System Breaks Down Barriers for Blind Web Designers Maryland Today Jeremy McGilvrey, A Web Design Agency Announces Web Design Services In Dallas, Texas - Yahoo Finance 10 Professional-Level Web Design Tools to Get the Ideal Website Robotics and Automation News This fiendish quiz tests your web design knowledge Creative Bloq The 10 Best Web Development Companies MUO - MakeUseOf Wheelistic Web Design rebrands as Green Marketing Lawn & Landscape Engines of Our Ingenuity 2470: Spider Web Design Houston Public Media Web Design: A Dive Into the Digital World The Piedmont Highlander Delphin Technologies: Making A Positive Mark In The World Of Web Design And Development Outlook India Web design firm adding staff in Putnam County – Inside INdiana ... Inside INdiana Business Understanding the Basics of Web Development Enterprise Apps Today 70+ Web Design Statistics 2022 to Improve Your Customer Experience Enterprise Apps Today Careers in Web Design and Development Harper College News Faculty Innovation Grant Leads to Graphic Design Awards for Seton ... Seton Hall University |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
RELATED ARTICLES
Website promotion Ideas: 10 Web Site Add-Ons To Increase Your Traffic If you're not getting a lot of traffic to your website anymore, must implement these Website promotion ideas immediately.1. Cool Web Design And Promotion Tips This article gives free tips on how to find a cheap website designer and free tips on website promotion services.Cheap website design services. Best Web Design And Free Web Promotion Tips This article gives free tips on how to find a cheap web designer and free tips on website promotion.Cheap web design services. Flash Web Design - The Wave of the Future? There are two camps when it comes to flash web design, those who believe it is the wave of the future and those who do not. To decide which camp you want to be part of, you of course need to learn a little bit about flash web design and try it out as well to see how you feel. Got Web Traffic but Still Low Sales? Ten Ways to Selling Success - Part 1 Have you put a lot of effort, time, and money into your site and are frustrated with lackluster sales? Are you planning to put a new Web site and don't know where to start? If you are like many business professionals out there, you know your subject, you are an expert speaker or coach in your field, and you are even passionate about it. You have great products and services to sell. 3 Simple Ways To Dramatically Improve Your Website Before you start worrying about marketing your website on the internet it always pays dividends to look at the website itself and get the fundamentals right before looking to shout about it from the virtual mountain-tops.You may already have thought about the following 3 ways and some of you may already have them in place on your website. HTML - A Website Language Explained - For Over 35s This is a very perfunctory look at the website code HTML, for those who never did any kind of Computer Studies at school and have never had the need or opportunity to look 'under the skirt' of your average website. There's nothing that an experienced webmaster will find here that's not very basic, but for those who have just begun to discover the 'website' and especially those venturing into. Custom Web Site Design Strategies Web site design has certainly, in the past decade, evolved tremendously. More clients now are demanding custom design, as opposed to the 'cookie cutter' sites of yesteryear. Images: How To Make Them To Load Fast On Your Web Pages? 1. Use . Small Business Website Design - How to Get Professional Results on a Shoestring Budget Just because you are a small business with an even smaller website design budget, does not mean that you cannot have a professional looking website and presence on the web. All it means is you will have to do some of the work yourself instead of paying some design firm to do it for you. Website Design For Small Businesses There are many different website design companies, offering different facilities such as flash design, however what should a small business look for when seeking an internet prescence?When choosing which company you would like to build your website, there are many factors which you need to take into consideration.Firstly how much is the website going to cost to build and host. Leave Those Links Blue! 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. Custom Icons For Your Specific Brand Developing a software application is not easy at all; apart from the effective creation of the application you'll have to think of other things as well, like: making the software easy to work with, giving it a unique and appealing look, making it better than other software, etc. Apart from the qualities of the application, these little things are the ones that promote your software application among the end users. How To Give Your Business Credibility Let's face it. Buying products and services from the Internet can be a bit intimidating. Tips for a Successful Website for Any Organization, NGO or GO Most NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations) don't understand these important aspects of a successful website. Even many governmental organizations (GOs) could improve their sites by following these tips. Lead Capture Pages Explode Your Direct Sales Business Online! Are you building a direct sales or mlm business online? Using lead capture pages can significantly improve your recruiting results and save you lots of time and money! I have known a few people who earned 5-figure monthly incomes in their mlm businesses and they used lead capture pages for Internet marketing.What is a lead capture page?A lead capture page is similar to a minisite in that it is a simple, one page website that leads your visitor to take ONE action. The Next Marketing Tool: Deisgn Design sells. It's something that all of us know, but few of us consciously acknowledge. 10 Nifty Ways to Prolong Your Visitors at Your Website Increasing the length of time a visitor is on your website will dramatically improve your conversion to sales. Use these ten points to check you are prolonging to stay of your visitors. Your Website Hurts My Eyes: 7 Reasons to Tone Down Your Advertising So you're on the computer, as usual. Your eyes are smarting. KIS - Keep It Simple There are many ways to add fancy bells and whistles to your website, but most of them are not going to do you any good. In fact they will slow down the time it takes to load your website and take up valuable space that you are paying for. ![]() |
home | site map |
Webdesign-box © 2006 |