Link ambiguity and how to avoid it
These days I find myself using JavaScript libraries, specifically jQuery, to add lightweight visual effects to my websites. One of the most useful things you can do with them is hide and show content. For instance, if you’ve got a blog post with a hundred comments, the page is going to be extremely long. However, if you hide all but the first five and then allow users to reveal the rest if they choose, the page is going to be a lot more inviting.
The problem
Using libraries like jQuery to hide and show content can be very effective, but it can also make your pages very difficult to use. Imagine an intermediate to advanced user, who browses the Web and makes the most of tabs. They might skim a page, opening various links in tabs so that they can read them later. However, if your link doesn’t actually go anywhere and merely triggers some JavaScript, when they try to open that link in a new tab, it won’t work. If a user keeps finding ambiguous links, then they’re going to start to mistrust your site and think twice about clicking genuine links.
The solution
This issue is surprisingly easy to solve. All you have to do is give the user a clue about what your link is about to do. One way of achieving this is through small icons or some visual representation, but these aren’t going to be universal across the Web. The other, more consistent method is to use language. Consider the following ambiguous links:
- View the other 23 comments
- See the other 23 comments
- Read the other 23 comments
The wording of these links doesn’t give any clue as to whether you’ll stay on the current page or be taken to another. However, if we reword our links, it’s much clearer:
- Toggle the other 23 comments
- Show the other 23 comments
- Reveal the other 23 comments
These words suggest that when we click them, something is going to happen which won’t take us away from the current page.
To summarise
With JavaScript libraries it’s all too easy to add useful functionality like hiding and showing content to your site. However, think about the language you use and you’ll avoid the ambiguity that can confuse and deter users.
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