A bypass link is a type of link that allows users to access a web page without having to go through the normal process. Bypass links are often used to provide quick access to certain pages or sections of a website.
What are the Different Types of Bypass Links?
There are a few main types of bypass links:
- Direct page links – These links take you directly to a specific page, without having to go through the homepage or other intermediate pages.
- Section links – These types of links jump you down the page to a specific section or content area.
- Landing page links – Landing pages are used for campaigns or promotions. Landing page links take you directly to the landing page.
- Thank you page links – After completing a form, you are often taken to a thank you page. Thank you page links let you skip the form and go directly to the thank you content.
- Broken link bypass – These links are created to bypass broken pages that return 404 errors.
Why are Bypass Links Used?
There are a number of reasons why bypass links are commonly used:
- Improve user experience – By allowing users to directly access the content they want without navigating through unnecessary pages, bypass links provide a smoother user experience.
- Increase conversion rates – Landing page and thank you page links help users complete desired actions faster, which can increase conversion rates.
- SEO redirection – Bypass links are sometimes used to redirect users when a URL has changed, helping preserve SEO equity.
- Highlight key content – Section links make it easy for users to jump straight to important content within long pages.
- Security – Admin login pages often use bypass links to provide direct access for authorized users.
How are Bypass Links Created?
Bypass links can be created in a couple of different ways:
- HTML anchor tags – Anchor tags allow linking to specific sections on a page, like Section 2.
- Direct URL links – You can link directly to a specific page URL, like www.example.com/thank-you.
- Website redirect tools – There are various plugins and tools that let you create redirects or custom landing page links.
- Page builders – Website builders like WordPress allow assigning specific page URLs during site development.
Best Practices for Bypass Links
When using bypass links, it’s important to follow some best practices:
- Use descriptive anchor text – Links like “Click Here” don’t tell users much. Use descriptive text like “Go to Customer Login”.
- Place links strategically – Put bypass links in easy-to-find locations where users will see them, like headers and menus.
- Check for broken links – Make sure your bypass links are not broken, returning 404 errors.
- Don’t bypass too aggressively – Strike a balance between convenience and proper navigation. Don’t let users completely bypass your homepage and main content.
- Check impacts on analytics – Test bypass links to make sure they don’t negatively impact your analytics data.
Common Examples of Bypass Links
Here are some common examples of bypass links you may encounter:
- “Skip to Main Content” links for accessibility.
- Login and account links in website headers.
- Footer links to specific site sections like Contact Us or FAQ.
- Campaign landing page links in emails and ads.
- Thank you page links after submitting forms.
- Bookmarklets that skip intro pages and popups.
- Links to specific category or tag archives.
- “Jump to Recipe” links that bypass lengthy introductions to recipes.
Benefits of Using Bypass Links
Here are some of the main benefits of using bypass links on your site:
- Improves user experience – Allows easy access to desired content.
- Increases conversion rates – Gets users to key pages faster.
- Enhances accessibility – Facilitates navigation for users requiring assistive technologies.
- Boosts SEO – Can help with URL redirects and site structure.
- Provides convenience – Allows shortcuts for frequent site tasks like logging in.
- Highlights important information – Draws attention to key content.
- Creates shortcuts – Minimizes steps for common user goals.
Potential Drawbacks to Consider
Using bypass links also comes with some potential drawbacks to keep in mind:
- Can encourage poor site navigation – Overuse may result in users not understanding your site’s overall structure and content flow.
- May impact analytics – Bypassing pages can distort analytics metrics like bounce rate and time on site.
- Increases maintenance – More links mean more opportunities for broken links if sites change.
- Creates disjointed experience – Too many bypass links can make the user experience feel disjointed.
- Raises security issues – Some bypass links like admin logins need security measures against misuse.
- Causes confusion – Unclear bypass links or positioning can result in confusion instead of helping users.
Tips for Using Bypass Links Effectively
Follow these tips to use bypass links most effectively:
- Place links strategically in expected locations like headers.
- Use descriptive anchor text so purpose is clear.
- Limit bypass links to improve content flow. Don’t let users bypass too much.
- Test analytics to identify any issues.
- Ensure mobile friendliness for small screens.
- Check accessibility with screen readers.
- Implement redirects carefully to avoid broken links.
- Review site analytics to identify common user paths to enhance.
- Group related bypass links together when possible.
Examples of Bypass Links on Popular Websites
Many top websites use bypass links to improve user experience. Here are some examples:
- Amazon – Product page links in search results bypass homepage.
- Reddit – “Jump to content” links skip navigation menus.
- Pinterest – Pin page links go directly to content.
- Wikipedia – Section links facilitate navigation within long articles.
- YouTube – Video page links go directly to videos from search/homepage.
- Ecommerce sites – “Checkout” links in carts that bypass additional shopping.
- Travel sites – Book Now links that skip other hotel page content.
- News sites – Category and section menu links that bypass homepage.
Should You Use Bypass Links?
In most cases, bypass links can be beneficial when used appropriately. Consider adding bypass links if:
- Your analytics show users are taking circuitous routes to key pages.
- You have clear common user goals you want to facilitate with shortcuts.
- You have long forms where thank you page links could help conversions.
- Your site has long content pages where section links would help navigation.
- You are running campaigns with dedicated landing pages.
- You want to highlight and drive traffic to key content.
Assess your site and user data to determine if bypass links will aid your particular users and content. Test different approaches to get the benefits without negatively impacting user experience.
Tools to Create and Manage Bypass Links
Here are some tools that can help create and manage bypass links:
Web Development Tools
- HTML anchor tags
- JavaScript scrolling code
- WordPress plugins for custom links
- Website builders with direct page/section URLs
Redirect Tools
- Bitly – Custom shortened links
- Moz Redirect Manager – 301 redirects
- Screaming Frog – Redirect manager
- AHrefs – Redirect chain finder
Link Management Tools
- Google Tag Manager – Manage link tagging
- SEMrush – Identify broken bypass links
- Linkody – Organize links for analytics
- Hotjar – View user click paths
Analytics Platforms
- Google Analytics – Track bypass link clicks
- Matomo – Open source analytics
- Adobe Analytics – Enterprise analytics
- Google Search Console – Crawl errors for broken links
Summary
Bypass links allow users to skip directly to desired content. They provide shortcuts to key pages and sections of your site. When used appropriately, bypass links can enhance user experience, increase conversions, and highlight important information.
Common examples include landing page links, account login links, and in-page section links. Bypass links are implemented via HTML anchors, direct URLs, redirects, and site development tools.
This powerful navigation feature does come with drawbacks to consider, including potential impacts on analytics and site flow. Use bypass links strategically, test the results, and optimize based on data.
