When you visit other websites, are there any aspects to your visit that you found less than thrilling? If you are like most people, you probably are quite annoyed when you click on a link only to find that it is broken. It is disappointing when you wish to learn more about a subject, product, or service and the links just are functioning. 
It also does not say very much positive about the web hosting company either.
Really, broken links make a website look like amateur hour which is why you need to make sure that your own website is devoid of broken links and similar problems. When you look into web hosting and domain registration, you will want to hire a development team that will always test your links prior to placing them live on the web.
The service should also do what is necessary in terms of periodically checking the links to make sure they are properly functioning. This way, the visitors to your site are not as disappointed as you would be if you can across a website that was riddled with broken links. Yes, broken links make a very improper impression on visitors which is why they must always be located and fixed.
And here is some news, if you want to make sure the links are not broken, you will need to check them yourself. While you could leave the task to the web hosting company, you definitely would be better served double checking on your own to make sure all links are properly functioning. Would you want the link to your online store to be broken? Imagine the horrors that would cause your online business!
This does raise the question of how to go about checking the links. Yes, there can be a deliberate step-by-step process you can follow since this will ensure you do not miss anything. For those curious about such a process, here is a brief rundown:
Taking your time with the creation of the website is always advised. When the creation and publishing of the website is rushed, errors are prone to be caused.
Broken links are certainly a high risk possible when rushed or sloppy website creation is undertaken. As such, careful deliberation is best employed when crafting the site. Double check the spelling of the URL in the HTML code and also double check the coding for possible spacing errors. Such problems are frequent reasons behind broken links. Running a quick check of the site for HTML issues is always advisable in the development process.
It also does not hurt to set file structures in a manner that makes naming and new files (or even updating old files) without issues and problems with discrepancies. 
This will dramatically reduce problems and issues related to broken links.
Images are also important to check as well. While this is often overlooked, it is really a very important facet to making sure you have checked to see that all links are properly functioning. Image links have a tendency to be the root of a lot of dead and ineffectual links. There are various reasons why an image link could be flawed.
A close examination of the link will yield a better understanding of the problem which will allow you to correct such a problem. Of course, these tasks could be left to web hosting or domain registration service professionals as well. But, as previously mentioned, you also need to do a little checking on your own to make sure the proper amount of work is performed. This is not only true of image links but any and every facet of web hosting and publishing in general.
Updating links on a regular basis is another means of reducing the potential for broken links to overrun a particular site. 
Again, this is a facet that is sometimes overlooked but it really should not be since it is so important. Sometimes, the pages you link to may have been tweaked, modified, or altered. If this is the case, you will want to know so and make the proper adjustments. This way, your visitors are always directed to where they need to be directed.
Yes, there are many different ways to make sure that the links on your website are working effectively. Following the various steps of making sure the links work is highly recommended since it will maximize the value of your website.
