Back in April, I blogged a tutorial on how to keep visitors on your blog when inserting links.
The issue was that if you place a link to another website (an external link) on your blog or blogsite using the standard 'chain link' icon (
pictured left) in the Compose Post view, that site will open up in the same page or window as the one your reader is currently on - which could mean you've lost them.
The tutorial shows you how to add a tiny string of code which will mean that an external link will open in a new window/page. You do this in the Edit HTML view of your post after you use the 'chain link' icon and I promise you, you do not need to know or understand HTML to do this successfully.
Then just a couple of weeks later, Typepad introduced a new 'widget' which means that you can have links automatically open in a new window - so no need for the code string.
"Wonderful!"- or so I thought and set about adding this widget to my clients business blogs. BUT and this is a big 'but'...
The problem with that widget is that it opens every single link in a new page. This means that when people click on any 'internal' links on your blog eg. 'category menu' items or the 'continue reading this post' link - a new window opens each time. The result of this is that before they know it, your reader has about 10 of your blog windows open, which as you can imagine is both annoying and confusing.
Given the choice between umpteen unnecessary new windows opening and risking losing your readers - I'd take the risk. But best of all, would be to learn the code string and get into the habit of adding it in where a link is external.
On that same subject. If you are using a 'Link' type typelist to an external site, you are not able to add HTML. So I would recommend you use the 'Notes' type typelist which does allow HTML and so you can use the code string.
