Add visual context or previews to links to understand where it will take you

Imagine stumbling upon a portal which teleports you to an unknown location, would you enter without knowing what is on the other side? This is how hyperlinks work on the web, often you cannot tell where they lead. However instead if you enter a door, you can clearly see the room beyond the moment you start to open the door. This visual context helps understand where you are going.

How can you design hyperlinks more like doors and less like portals?

  • Add preview of the site on hover
  • Add icon or other visual context to the link itself