When Details Matters To Your Blog Visitors

I have read several discussions over at other blogs and at discussion forums where many have been discussing something that I first thought was kind of trivial. I have never actually given it much thought, but now I find myself thinking more and more about it (but I wish I didn�t). It doesn�t take up much of my time, but I just can�t seem to find the right answer to the question.

Should links open in a new window or not?

What I have done, without thinking much about it, is that I have made all internal links (links to posts and pages at my blog) open in the same window. I have made all external links (links to other sites / blogs than my blog) open up in a new window. I don�t know why, but that�s how I have done it.

When I come to think about it, it sounds like I have done something right even though a lot of people according to the discussions disagrees with me. When external links opens up in a new window your visitors will still be at your blog / site when they are finished reading the external page. But if they open up the external link in the same window I think that it might be less likely that they will go back to your blog / site after they finish reading if they have to click on the back button. I don�t know this for sure, but I just feel like that�s what is more likely to happen.

Some of the people that I have discussed this topic with say that all links should always open up in the same window, this way your visitors can decide themselves if they want it to open up in the same window or a new one. But as long as I haven�t heard any big protests, I will keep my external links to open up in a new window. What I have done different since I read the discussions, is that I write a text next to the links with something like (this link opens up in a new window)… just in case.