Linking
Links allow users to navigate through your site or to other sites you think
will be of interest, and are the cornerstone of the WWW.
Excessive links will make your page look cluttered and
distract viewers of your page, though, so they should be used sparingly. A single
sentence should never have more than two links. A paragraph should not
have more than five. These are just guidelines, so you should not use the maximum number of links in
every sentence or paragraph! Most sentences will not have any links, and a
typical paragraph will have only one.
A typical link should only appear once or twice on your page. You
definitely must provide a link the first time the target is mentioned on a
page, but do not need to make a link out of every subsequent reference.
Do not use separate sentences with phrases like "click here" to identify your
links. Viewers can tell what is a link because it looks different on the page!
Instead, refer to the target in a complete sentence, and create the link in an
appropriate place. For example, instead of writing "You must complete the
application packet before December 31. Click here
to download it." simply say "You must complete the
application packet before December 31."
Avoid providing links to individual email addresses wherever possible.
Remember there is a link to your departments shared mailbox or departmental alias
on every page! This makes it easier to maintain your site as staff
members or responsibilities change. It also ensures that your site users
will not continue to send messages to an incorrect or departed staff member for
assistance.
Do not use pictures as links unless it is absolutely obvious what clicking on
the picture will do. It is acceptable to create a picture link that displays an
enlarged version of the picture.
Use relative paths for links. For example, if the target file is in the
same directory, you can simply refer to the file by name. Never include
"http://studentaffairs.case.edu" in your links.
Use .case.edu instead of .cwru.edu on campus links.
Use TARGET="_blank" on links to external sites, or to PDF files. The
user is then able to return to your site by simply closing the new window that
appeared.
Be conservative when using the related sites section. There may be several
related sites on your department's main page, but they should be chosen wisely.
Choose sites that are actually related to your site (e.g. a parent resources
link from the orientation page). Don't link to sites just because you
think someone might want to get there from your site (e.g. a link to the
registrar's office because registered students visit your office). If the user is looking for that other site,
they probably would have found it before yours! Links to the main Student
Affairs division site are also redundant, as this link is included at the bottom of each
page.
On content pages, you should only refer to related sites that you explicitly
mention in the text of that page. If you have several references to the
same site in your page, you could then leave out links to the site on the page
itself.
Avoid the temptation to include a "links page" on your site, unless you
intend to maintain it on a regular basis. Providing links to other
sites that do not work or no longer exist make your site less trustworthy to
users, and they will not see your site as a reliable resource for information.
Spread your references throughout your site, or find an existing directory
that you can refer them to for additional information.