Linking page title block to home - best practises?

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+4 Q:

Linking page title block to home - best practises?

I do most if not all my sites to have the page title block (generally a styled h1 on my pages) to link back to the home page.

Should this be linked on the first page, i.e. the home page? I read that this shouldn't be linked, but one thing I do when I go to a page for the first time is mouseover the title to check the status bar to see if it will send me home.

What I'm asking is best practises for this... should the home page's title link back to itself for future reference for the user?

There should never be links on the page that link to itself. According to research by Jakob Nielsen, this is a bad idea. Further reading here (#10) and here (also #10 in that list).

Robert C. Barth 2009-01-04 06:06:58

I don't really agree with his points on this. For example, on SO I often press the QUESTIONS button to refresh the page, even though it's the page I'm at. I do the same in many sites. Never prevent me an easy way to access the same content repeatedly

Eran Galperin 2009-01-04 06:10:30

F5 (or right click->refresh) does the same thing as clicking the questions tab if you're already there. There is evidence that self-linking items are bad for the user, why ignore it? Do you know better than a guy who has spent his life in human factors? An anecdotal use-case is not evidence.

Robert C. Barth 2009-01-04 23:13:43

Also, this site doesn't exactly cater to the "average user." The average user is easily confused, unfortunately.

Robert C. Barth 2009-01-04 23:14:29

+2 A:

See sites such as facebook - the facebook logo always links to the homepage.

It's a strong convention, and I try to utilize it where ever practicable.

warren 2009-01-04 07:11:35

+2 A:

While I understand the logic behind a page not linking to itself, I personally think the title block is a defensible exception. So I think you should link it to the home page, even on the home page.

Software Monkey 2009-01-04 08:05:48

User testing shows this is a problem that need not exist. Users mistakenly click on the title since it is clickable, and the page reloads, and users spend a couple of extra seconds wondering where they are. It's a waste of time for the user when it takes two seconds to NOT do it for the developer.

Robert C. Barth 2009-01-04 23:05:48

Do run-of-the-mill users never look in their status bar? Won't they click it and see the throbber spinning? After looking at the layout of useit.com, should I care what he has to say?

alex 2009-01-04 23:08:55

@Robert: You mean just like *your* website http://www.norimek.com/blog/?? Bit of pot and kettle, isn't it?

Software Monkey 2009-01-05 02:31:47

@alex: Yes you should care. He's about usability, not pretty. And no, users don't look at the status bar. @monkey: The audience for my site is pretty much me. But good catch, I'll have to go see if I can edit BlogEngine.net to change it; it's not my software. :-)

Robert C. Barth 2009-01-05 21:49:38

I'm going to stick to linking my titles to home... Even if it is on the home page. I doubt any user would click the page title and expect it to go anywhere else but home. And I provide a title attribute '*site title* Home'

alex 2009-01-06 03:46:29

@Alex: I have read through most of useit.com, over the past few years, and respect the content greatly... but the site itself is kinda lame. That said, good content always trumps "pretty", IMHO.

Software Monkey 2009-01-06 08:34:07

@monkey - agreed with content making a site, not design.

alex 2009-01-07 00:20:07

There is an article here concerning this, see section 3.

http://www.webdesignerdepot.com/2009/06/10-tips-to-create-a-more-usable-web/

alex 2009-06-26 00:28:06

ansaurus

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Linking page title block to home - best practises?

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