I'm using this code:

<a href="{URL}" target="_blank"><input type="button" value="{TEXT}" /></a>

When I click the button it opens two new tabs. This is the html I'm using for a BBcode button on my forum and I don't want two tabs to open every time a poster clicks one of these buttons. I set the target to "_blank" because I want the button to open the specified URL in a new tab when the user clicks the button. This way they wont leave my website. How can I fix this?

EDIT: I'm probably using the <a> tag and the <input> tag in the wrong way...is there a better way of doing this?

get rid of the target attribute, leave it up to users to decide. The "I don't want users to leave" is 1990's thinking.

I guess I'll have to live with it, thanks.

Don't listen to that... Think of it like this. If you're the user: Would you want the link to open a new tab or not? Sometimes it's appropriate other times it's not.

Originally Posted by drizzle

Sometimes it's appropriate other times it's not.

EXACTLY!! which is why you should leave it to the user to decide!

They are quite capable of right clicking and choosing "Open in new Tab" or "Open in new Window" and it is much preferable to the page deciding they have to have a mass of new windows open.

You have heard of the "back button" that can be used to get back to your site?
Well opening new windows breaks that capability and means users are more likely to lose where they were after two or three links have been clicked on.

IMO only external links should be opened in a new tab/window, it would decrease the bounce rate as well.

Originally Posted by DigitalLinx

IMO only external links should be opened in a new tab/window, it would decrease the bounce rate as well.

How??

it would decrease the bounce rate as well.

Maybe the page would get forgotten about and never closed!

Maybee he needs to use more this code onclick="this.target='_blank;'".

Any way do you think this will be bad to the site in the search engines if we us it to much??

nothing to do with search engines

Originally Posted by chrishirst

nothing to do with search engines

ok because I have some pages that I use it for external sites as hotels.

Nothing to do with search engines, but it CAN be a problem for accessibility. If you're going to have a link open a new window you should TELL the user that that is what will happen. Opening windows in people's faces is annoying, confusing to some, and even considered rude by many.

Originally Posted by xela1966

ok because I have some pages that I use it for external sites as hotels.

On a similar vein;


Would the taxis you advertise load up at Faro airport, have the passengers get in one side of the car, out the other and get into a different car then drive to the hotel, thus leaving the first car outside the airport??

Outgoing links will always be in a new tab with me. My own website-pages never, that's really annoying (except for a small info popup).

Again, you're breaking the functionality of the "back" button by doing that. People are used to using the Back button and studies show they do so liberally, that's how they know to get around - opening new windows kills that functionality and it can be confusing to people.

Please click here: Here

Try the www button

not all then

Any way with or without pop ups I like to be here.