Hyperlinks don't need to look ugly

Consider the following: Both of these links will take you to the exact same picture online:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&time=&date=&ttype=&q=metrodome,+minneapolis+MN&layer=c&ie=UTF8&ll=44.978445,-93.258111&spn=0.006709,0.019956&z=16&om=1&cbll=44.975001,-93.259064&cbp=1,515.5861626469982,,0,-14.513606065468987


Click here to view the Metrodome


Which one would you rather click? The next time you have a link to send someone in an email or on the web, take just a few seconds longer to make the link easier to read. Your message will look cleaner and it will help drive the reader's response. You do want someone to click that link, right?

1. Copy the address to your clipboard

This is pretty easy. Just go to your web browser's address bar, highlight the web site you want to link to, right click and select Copy.

Or: When it is highlighted, you can hold down the control key and press C. In Windows Control+C = Copy. Every time. Easy enough to remember. C for Copy.


2. Control+K = Insert Hyperlink
If you are sending an email, your email program probably has a feature called "Insert Hyperlink". If you are using a Microsoft program, you should just use the keyboard shortcut Control+K. I can't tell you why someone decided to make Control+K = insert Hyperlink ... it's not exactly intuitive... but trust me, it does in most windows programs. (If it doesn't in yours, just look for "Insert Hyperlink".)


3. Text to Display (and a tip about pasting, too!)

In the window that comes up, you will have two different lines... one for "Text to Display" and another for "Address".

In the "Text to Display" line, enter a friendly name -- this is what the person reading your email will see.

In the "Address" line, paste the address that you had previously copied. (You can click "Control+V" here to paste the address if you are using Windows. I can't tell you why someone decided to make Control+V = Paste but trust me, in Windows, Control+V=Paste.)

With these three simple steps, you will insert links in your documents that look clean and professional.

If you master this -- just by following the 1-2-3 steps above -- you'll have a leg up on your competition, your website or emails will look much more professional and it can only help your business! Good luck!