Links are one of the most important interactions on the web. In addition to reading, scrolling, and writing, they are deeply ingrained in the way we use any website. Think about it: How did you get this article? By clicking on the link. How did you go to the website before? As we know, these links are connected to the Internet.

In HTML, each link is marked with an anchor tag <a>. The browser comes with a standard user agent style sheet, which makes the link blue and underlined. Since all browsers use the same template, users should be aware that this style represents a link. Based on this paradigm, we can use it to help users navigate our website.

Why is it so important?

Links are the most basic interactive component between users and web pages: the user clicks on a link and then opens another web page. They are important, but they are easily lost among more and more people. More concise UI elements such as web forms, animated tooltips, and call-to-action buttons. Links are so common that we often ignore them in projects.

Creating internal links to your website can help you optimize content in search engines. The SEO of this topic as a UX design directly affects the SEO of your website. Some of the key factors that can affect the SEO of your website are page speed, mobile compatibility, and most importantly link structure. It also describes the structure of the link to your website and whether it is user-friendly.

Usage and types of links

Usually, anything that can be clicked is called a link, whether it is text or a digital image. In addition, the links can be of different types.

1. Navigation Links: Mainly called hyperlinks, they are used to navigate between different parts of the page without starting a new task.
2. Command Links: Mainly referred to as text buttons used to execute new commands. Usually used for less important commands.
3. Definition Links: links that are more valuable than command links.
4. Home link: As the name suggests, the homepage link allows users to return to the homepage by clicking on the website’s logo or slogan.

Three States of link

The same link follows three stages:

• Normal: Standard link or you can say that this is an unvisited link.
• Hover: Hover link appears when the cursor hovers over the link.
• Visited: As the name suggests, a link that someone has visited.

When to use buttons or links?

There had been clean variations among hyperlinks and buttons returned to the sooner level of the Internet.

Buttons have been used in applications that allow users to immediately take actions that change the backend. Links are used in websites to allow users to navigate to another section or page.

First, you want to think about the main tasks you want users to perform on each screen. It should be a button. The more important should be more conspicuous. We call this action the primary call to action. There should be only one on each screen.

You should never use links to change the state of an application. This means that clicking the link should not add, change or delete any data on the screen. The delete operation should not be a link or save operation.

But in the past decade, the distinction between links and buttons has become increasingly blurred. As the website provides more and more functions. You can also find links for commands and buttons for navigation.

The Problem with Default Underline Links

Underlined hyperlinks affect readability because certain characters that are located below the basic characters and have descendants under the underline, such as p, g, j, and q, are affected by the value of the CSS property text-decoration: underline.

For example:

You cannot fully control the style of the underline, but you can set the bottom border, for example, simple border-bottom: 1px solid #2159AD; to create a brighter and more attractive underline that is still clearly visible.

For example:

Common points for better links UX

The idea is to use links on the website so that users can use them, but users do not use these links. Therefore, it is also important to use links to ensure their availability.

1. Make meaningful text links instead of just “Click here” links.
2. Define better-visited links. On Google, visited links changes the colour from blue to purple.
3. Highlight to the users that it is clickable.
4. Use a pointing arrow or hand to elaborate the link.
5. Blue is the standard choice or blue represents a link, you can also try different colours but it should look like a link.
6. Add underlines or other non-colour indicators to help colourblind users who may not see colour.
7. Do not reveal a link on hover. Instead, make a better transition on hover.

Conclusion

This brings us back to the guiding principle of link design: consistency. Follow the established template guidelines that have been applied around the blocks and create your templates by carefully applying them in your design.

We have seen many benefits and links in the content. One is from the perspective of user experience and the other is from the perspective of marketing. Both contain priority factors.