New window - good or bad?

should my directory open new windows?

[MHes]

Hi

I have a directory with 20 links per category page. If someone clicks a link a new window opens. For the experienced internet user they will close the window and return to my page....but....do most people realise this? Do some browser set ups not tile the open windows?

Would we get more pageviews/click outs if people can use the back button after visiting a site and return to our category page that way? Is this how most users opperate?

Anybody experimented with this?

[Sinner_G]

I always prefer to open a new window, as nowadays almost anybody knows how to close a window.

If you are unsure your users know how to find you again, you could do it the hotmail way. Open a new window which contains a frameset. Small top frame with only text telling the user to close the window to get back to you and the linked page in the main frame below.

[bill]

Congratulations, you've just discovered how to disable the back button for newbies ;)

I don't know why, but a good many of the Japanese sites I visit tend to overuse this and it drives me crazy. You end up with too many open windows after a while and I know it confuses newer internet users tremendously.

My advice is to use this as little as possible, and let people know beforehand (e.g. this link will open a new browser window).

[edited by: bill at 1:58 pm (utc) on Aug. 28, 2002]

[Knowles]

Maybe just give them an option to open it in same window or in a new window? But then you have the age old question of do options confuse the user?

[Woz]

I open new a window from directories in particular, but I name the new window and any additional clicks are open in that one new window rather than spawning multiple windows.

Onya
Woz

[Weblamer]

Keep in mind that alot of people are now useing cheap 'pop up stoppers' that might hinder thier navigation through your site.

[Sinner_G]

I think that popup stoppers only work against windows launched without user interaction.

[MHes]

Thanks for the input.... pop up stoppers is a scary thought!

I think we might run a test for a week without new windows opening and see if there are any plus or minus effects... I'll report back.

[ergophobe]

Congratulations, you've just discovered how to disable the back button for newbies

I recently read a usability study (from IBM I think) where the person found that the back button was the ONE feature every user knew how to use and also found that new users get confused by windows that open and take over their desktop. Believe it or not, I know someone who has written several books on a Windows-based computer and he did not know that he could have two applications open at once. Never overestimate the ignorance of the general public!

My advice is to use this as little as possible, and let people know beforehand (e.g. this link will open a new browser window).

Great advice. Can I add that the new window, if it's still part of your site, have a link to close the window if possible? The one place I find this useful is when you want a "help window" or a large image that the user can see then close. I'm trying to get away from this too whenever possible.

However, for a VERY effective use of new windows, see

[WebmasterWorld.com...]

I expect this URL won't get snipped!

Tom

[brotherhood of LAN]

I used to use "new windows".....but I wanted to try and measure how long people are staying on the site etc. The only place I used it is in a directory linking to other sites.

If the average visitor length was 20 minutes.....there wasn't a surefire way of knowing it was a couple of dozen net addicts with a window to my site at the bottom of the pile :)

So I try to use new window as little as possible....I think most people know how to open thingsin a new window....or how to copy and paste a shortcut. If they are newer than a newbie who knows this - then they shouldn't be surfing the net without supervision ;)

[Sinner_G]

LAN, you must be joking! Half of the people out there don't know how to find a site! They use the search engine provided by their provider (pun intended) and just follow links from there. It is not by chance that the most searched for terms include thinks llike www.yahoo.com or www.hotmail.com. People don't know they can enter the URL in that strange bar up there on their browser.

The problem with the back button is that after surfing a while on another site, users don't want to use it because it would mean to many 'back's.

[brotherhood of LAN]

LAN, you must be joking!

If the sole reason to open a new window is to keep the person on your site then I'm not joking ;)

Otherwise I was a tad sarcastic, I take it back :)

[tbear]

My little dollop!
I have always opened search results in a new window, and use Brett's option here to open threads. That way I can return 'instantly' to where I came from and not have to wait for stuff to load nor suffer those x&`^Šs* pop-ups and Java time wasters that some feel obliged to provide us with.
I agree with Sinner_G. I'm sure the majority of today's surfers have had their machine for a year or less and have little idea how the thing works! (just like the buddy who writes books.... LOL). Sadly, the blind often lead the blind for being more forceful!
My little dollop :)

[rewboss]

Opening in new windows is unnecessary, confusing and always annoying.

How do people disconnect from the internet, do you suppose? Answer: they close their browser window and their e-mail client -- and up pops a box asking them if they want to disconnect. If they have 20 windows open and don't know that they can right-click on the green flashing lights and disconnect from there, they will very quickly get annoyed at having to close 20 windows before they can disconnect.

And if they have 20 windows open (a good possibility if they have visited 4 sites and visited five pages on each, all of which opened in new windows), this won't help them find their way "back" to a particular page. Windows users will find the taskbar so crowded, there is only room for one or two letters on each button. I have no idea what Mac users would have to resort to to find the right window. Now, they will use the navigation, opening yet more windows.

Answer: Make sure your navigation is clear, logical and easy to use.

[tedster]

Interesting to note that Google makes "open in a new window" an option, but not a very visible option - they consider it "advanced".

If you choose that option, the named window scheme is in effect, so you only every have one new window spawned.

[rewboss]

It's just struck me that I might have misunderstood the situation slightly. Ah... a directory...? Maybe that's different.

But I still prefer to be given a choice. If I want to open a page in a new window, I right-click and select "Open in new window". That way I have more control over how many browser windows I have open. A choice of "Open in this window" and "Open in new window" seems a good solution.