MSDN: “Click Here” Syndrome

February 15, 2007

Last month, I wrote that MSDN's language options are not intuitive. Today, I point out yet another usability/accessibility problem the MSDN website suffers from: the “Click Here” Syndrome.

MSDN's Click Here Syndrome Screenshot

Let me explain what the “Click Here” Syndrome is with a simple example. The following are links to three websites I visit frequently:

Now, can you tell me which three websites I visit frequently? No, you can't. You would have to take extra steps, such as following the link, to find out.

The problem is that "Click Here" is non-informative; it does not explain to the user what they will find at the end of the link.

Let's try that again. The following are links to three websites I visit frequently:

The descriptive link texts tell you quickly which three websites I visit often. The best part is that you can do this without having to follow the links. Improved usability is a benefit of descriptive link text.

More Reading