Users often assume that any link will take them to a different page on the same website. When this is not the case and they are not forewarned, they can become frustrated.
Unidentified external link: College costs will continue to rise in the foreseeable future.
Better approach to identify the link: According to the College Board,
college costs will continue to rise in the foreseeable future.
When linking to another website, use contextual clues and attribution in your copy to let users know before they click that they’re going to another source. This prepares them for a new user interface (different look, navigation, etc.) and also sends the cue that CCBC does not control the content.