When is it good to use target="_blank"

[MaxMinzer]

Hi!

Just wondering about user experience and when to use  target="_blank" in links on the website.

Let's take homepage, for example. Is it better to have social media icons (for Facebook page or Twitter or Google+ page) open in a new window on homepage?

When is it appropriate to use target="_blank" and when using it is too much for a user to handle?

Am I right to say that  target="_blank" should be used when you don't want that link to get on the way of what visitor is doing?

What's best for conversion? If you have some resources on the subject - feel free to share them.

Thanks!

I appreciate all responses!

[AlanBleiweiss]

Without performing your own tests, there's no 100% best answer for each specific situation, market or site. And you'll find people even here in the Moz community who prefer remaining in the same browser window and just as many who don't.

So... all I can offer is my own experience in UX work - I've found users have an expectation that when they're clicking on a link internal to a site that they remain within the same browser window, but that when they're clicking on any link out (to another web site or social site), that opens a new window.

This is especially important however, when the destination they're going to off-site breaks browser native "back" buttons, where even if you want to go back to the site you came from, you can't.

[UnderRugSwept]

It's generally agreed that a best practice in this regard is to use target="_blank" any time you are linking out to a different website. You should keep your internal links within the same window or tab unless you are linking to a part of your site that's totally unrelated or if you really don't want the user to leave the page they're on.

Additionally, if you are not using target="_blank" make sure all of your pages have clear, easily-understandable navigation, especially when it comes to linking back to your main page.