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I always use new windows. When I’m on a site I like that has a few offers I like to keep that site open while I check their links out. The back button isn’t always an option as you might have gone a few clicks into the new site.
All outgoing links should open in a new window, while internal links open in the same window. From a webmasters perspective, you really don’t want people to navigate away from your site with no way to find it again which is what will happen if you keep affiliate links opening in the same window, and the user didn’t like what he saw with that particular gambling site. From a users standpoint, there have been many times that I got annoyed because I found exactly what I was looking for on a website, clicked on one of their affiliate links that opened in the same window, and after navigating at the new site and not liking the product, I could not find my way back to the information I wanted from the original site, so both I and the site owner missed out. This is a no brainer, outgoing links in new window, internal links same window.
Hi all,
I used to believe totally in same window. Due to some jerks … especially I find in our industry … not allowing the back button to work .. I’ve become more and more a fan of the second window.
As a “user” I prefer new windows if the website I’m currently on has more information I may want to view. But I prefer to right-click and make my own decision on that.
As a developer, i follow that pattern.
However, as an affiliate, I probably only have one chance to convert a player. So if they are going to an external partner site, or to a casino I have linked to, it’s a new window. If it’s an internal link, or a link to one of my other sites, then usually the same window.
This is very easy to explain.
Most of us can be considered reasonably experienced web surfers or computer users – and for us right-clicking is quite normal.
However, you will find quite a lot of people who do not know how to right-click, either because they are new, grew up with a very old version of Windows (or DOS), or are converted Mac users.
As a result, when they find a site they *like*, they do not want to be led away from it. So offsite links opening in a new window is the best solution.
I sort of guessed this when I was running Got2Bet. I’ve read Jakob Nielsen on usability, and for the most part he is entirely right. But he is not right on this one.
And, btw, for those who do right-click, the result is still the same – a new window.
Try sitting your father or mother in front of a computer and see what they do. When I ran an Internet cafe, there were so many things I assumed people would know – but they didn’t. They didn’t know how to type an URL in the address bar (which really surprised me). They didn’t know how to get to Hotmail or Yahoo mail, they certainly knew nothing about instant messaging, and I guarantee you it was as if the right mouse button didn’t exist.
So don’t always believe everything you see in black and white – follow your common sense first – and then put yourself in different peoples’ shoes if you can. The results may surprise you.
this is an interesting thread
i have all my links open in the same window becasue i have the google toolbar and norton (norton is the most user home user antivirus) and the amount of times new windows get blocked by either the norton pop up bocker or the google one, so i decided against opening in new windows.
as the novice user doesnt know and wont see the little writing in the bottom left corner saying “click ctrl to open window” or somthing like that
also i have found IE7 to take ages opening an new window – up to 7 secs to fully load – i think thats too long and alot of people will exit it before it loads
New window without a doubt.
greek39
I concur with Spearmaster’s comments re: Jakob Nielsen on this. Nielsen is dead wrong; surfers who leave a site through a link want it to open in a new window.
All outgoing links should open in a new window, while internal links open in the same window
Same opinion, seems logical to me.
Nothing but new window for any link to an aff program.
On my sites pages there are always a few attractive offers. If the visitor clicked a link to one program and signed up.. it will not be a problem for him to close the window with my site.. Moreover, the visitor might be very happy to find the great casino/promotion he/she just found and this may help another satisifed visitor to bookmark my site.
If the clicked link didn’t convert.. My site with the rest of the promotional offers and advertising is still in the background and has the potential to send the visitor to another program where the visitor may sign up.
Pop-up blockers, for a while, caused some major problems. It used to be that they would block any pop-up, even after clicking on a link (so many people had to shift-click in order to get the new window).
Some pop-up blockers still do block all pop-ups. So technically, if you want the best chance of getting the referral, you could consider using the same window. But I found that, for the most part, if you used “_blank” in your HTML to open a new window, it would work properly. The pop-ups that failed the most often were inevitably caused by javascript links.
I guess I am in the minority, but I chose same window.
For a long time I had everthing set to “new window,” but after awhile, I felt the loss I might incur because of not returning to my site was worth it because most users I have observed use the back button anyway.
I just feel like less intrusion on the visitor is better. People are becoming more browser savy (including older folks) and I would not want them to realize that I force them to open/close a new window.
However, I am obviously in the minority.
Damn, I have turned into a geek.
Because I find the replies very interesting and am quite surprised the percentage of new window folk hold true enough as to Bluejay’s results.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts by the way :wavey:
