Q: Should links on your site open in a new browser window?
The debate can go on forever. There are pros and cons to each argument. If your links open in a new window, you risk annoying your visitors enough where they won’t return. If they open in the same window, you risk losing your visitor because they may not be able to find their way back. If you open in a new tab, the visitor may not know about tabs, and may not even find it.
With PressedbyAmbie.com, we have links open only in the same window. No pop-ups, no new tabs. We do have the risk that our visitors might not be able to find their way back to our site. But… we really did not want to risk annoying any of our loyal visitors who already know how to find their way back here. So, if you’re new here, BOOKMARK us now! Then you’ll always be able to find us.
How do you handle links on your site? We’d be interested to know!
July 11th, 2008 at 3:31 pm
I usually open sites in a new window, although annoying, you guarantee that the personal will make it back to your site.
July 12th, 2008 at 6:25 am
My preference is for site to open in a new window. That way I can look around more if the site impresses me, leave a comment or bookmark for further reference.
July 13th, 2008 at 10:37 pm
I congratulate you on your decision to open links in the same window. All browsers have a back button. If you open links in a new window you remove the functionality of this button. If folks do open links in new windows all I ask is that you warn me of this fact.
There is only one way to get visitors to return to your site after clicking a link and that is good content. If the content is not up to scratch there is no way I will return immaterial of what kind of windows are opened.
July 13th, 2008 at 10:53 pm
I made almost all the external links on my blog to open in new window
July 14th, 2008 at 10:20 am
Sailor, good feedback, espeacially the part about the ‘back’ button. I actually didn’t even think about that button’s functionality being diabled. Another nice reason to keep it all in one window.
August 20th, 2008 at 1:14 pm
very nice post. i hate when i open a window and lose the last one because sometimes it does not come back in the browser history.
December 1st, 2008 at 12:41 pm
To the point and an excellent article.
March 23rd, 2009 at 8:41 pm
Hi, it is indeed a debatable issue. I was following target blank initially when my blog was new. I didn’t want to loose my visitors.
But, from last 1 or 2 months i stopped using target blank. I intelligently use sometimes when i want it.