Since I’m a website tester, people ask me for advice from ‘the other side’ … the angle of the person who sees the good and the bad.
They wonder if links are a positive or a negative for their pages.
Well … this depends on the reliability of the links.
I use very few links
Links are great … when they work!
You may have noticed I use very few URLs (links) on my pages.
I stay pretty basic, although I may occasionally send you to another location on my site.
In the long run, ‘basic’ is worth it.
Having a low-complaint site pays off.
Plus, I’m not sending people away from my content.
Caution !
The most costly errors I see as a software tester are … oh, yeah …
BROKEN LINKS !!
I click each URL to ensure it goes where it’s supposed to.
The biggest problems I find?
The ‘… where it’s supposed to’ part.
Broken links kill your testing budget
Those little ones and zeros are doing what they’re told.
They don’t have minds of their own (though sometimes it feels like it, doesn’t it?).
But, let’s say a link ‘freezes’ a computer or goes to the wrong location.
Your tester spends extra time (= extra $) chasing down the problem.
Saving-big-bucks alert
Check your URLs before testing begins.
This helps keep your project scope and budget on target.
Test off-site using a different computer on another server.
Why?
Your network’s server has seen these links before.
It’s thinking, “Hey! I know you guys. Howdy!”
Ensure a new-to-the-links server sees them, too.
Speaking of off-site …
When I test for clients, I follow the rules I just gave you.
I work from outside the company, testing on my computer.
And lo, sometimes there is an outcry in the land … er … behind the oak desk.
“No, I want you in our building!”
Really?
The customers are outside the company.
Right?
Let’s ensure they can step through the electronic door from their locations.
Your Takeaway: Think carefully about your site’s complexity, keeping it as uncluttered as possible when it comes to adding links.
Note: Contact me for a quick, inexpensive look at your site and links.
Click here to send me an email: [email]Kathie@KathieYork.com[/email]
Join the Conversation:
• Do you have a link-from-Hell story to share?
• A rule on the types of links you use (or won’t use) on a client’s site?
• What’s the most impressive use of URLs you’ve seen?
Whether you’re a developer or user, leave your ideas and insights in the comments section below.
Let’s all learn from each other!
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