Playing Favorites: The Art of Bookmarking

Bookmarks are the foundation of Web surfing. No one wants to type in URLs, especially long, unmemorable ones, when going to frequently visited sites. It might not be a stretch to say that the Web wouldn't be where it is today without the ability to store links for faster access.

Given that bookmarking is so important to effective Web browsing, research and productivity, it's surprising that there isn't more ink spilled about how to be a better bookmarker. Even people who know how to bookmark don't necessarily know how to manage their links. I've seen many people with hundreds of bookmarks and nary a folder to organize them in. Thus, we at Traffick have put together 10 useful tips to help you become a better bookmarker.

(Note: Although, Internet Explorer officially calls them Favorites, we will use the term bookmarks because it sounds cooler!)

1. Use bookmarks for research.
When doing research, create special folders to hold your links. When your project is done, you can simply delete them.

2. Keep folders, lots of them.
It defeats the purpose of bookmarking if you don't organize your sites. For faster access, store your bookmarks in highly specific categories, such as Local News, Weather Sites, MP3 Sites and Hobbies. After you create these categories, maybe you can drill down even further by subdividing those folders into more specific topics.

Also, you may want to create an Articles folder so you can bookmark a main site, say CNET for example, and keep a subfolder for all the CNET articles you want to reference later. This is better than just bookmarking the main site because that site may move the article to a different section. If you bookmark it, though, you'll still have it close at hand.

3. Take time to make up your mind.
In order to keep your initial drop down too crowded while you decide where to file a bookmark, create an Unfiled or Recent Sites folder to keep all the bookmarks that you're unsure where to store. Periodically go through it and file them away once you've decided where the bookmark should go.

4. Frequent your local bar.
The links toolbar offered by Internet Explorer and Netscape are ideal for your most frequently visited sites. The fastest way to add toolbar bookmarks is to simply drag the icon next to the address line onto the bar and drop it in. You can also prioritize the order of the links bar by dragging them in Internet Explorer.

5. Try online bookmarking sites.
Use online bookmarks for access to your sites from any computer. Most allow you to export your local bookmarks to the server. Our favorite Yahoo Bookmarks, since they so neatly integrate into the Yahoo Companion toolbar. There are plenty of advanced features that make managing bookmarks a breeze, and stay tuned for a neat little helper program from Traffick that makes it even easier to synchronize your offline and online bookmarks.

6. Be an importer/exporter.
If you switch browsers, be sure to import your bookmarks from the other browser. You can then manipulate them as you please and integrate them into your new bookmarks.

7. Keep your finger on the button.
Don't be shy about deleting the bookmarks placed by default when you get a new browser or buy a new computer. Also, many applications that you install will automatically insert a bookmark to their site, whether you want it or not. Delete it if it doesn't serve your purposes.

8. Create a Reference folder.
If you're like most people, you're constantly referring to books like a dictionary, thesauraus, map, yellow pages, etc. I make it a habit never to touch a book if I know where to find the information online. To that end, I have created a folder that contains links to all my favorite online reference sites, such as Dictionary.com, Thesaurus.com, and Yahoo Yellow Pages.

9. Be a name caller.
You don't have to accept the default title of the bookmarked site. In fact, you can call it anything you want. Many sites practice the bad habit of naming their home page 'Welcome,' or 'Home page.' Even worse, some sites name their title the same as their meta tag keywords, which allow search engines to find their site. It's wise to rename the bookmark because you can be more descriptive and label it in a way that means something to you; for instance, if you want to remind yourself to send an e-greeting to a loved one, label it 'Send e-card to Mom.'

10. Start up with your bookmaks.
You can even set your browser's bookmarks file as your homepage for a fast-loading shortcut to your favorite sites. To do this, go into the Options/Preferences panel of your browser and find the option to set your home page. Then, browse your local computer and locate the browser folder. Inside should be a file called bookmarks.htm or something similar. Select this as your home page, and next time you start browsing, you'll see a plain white page with nothing but links to your favorite places on the Web.

Just as it is with everyday life, with a little organization and effort, you can make it easier to find important sites that you don't want to forget and to get to your favorite sites a whole lot faster.

Cory Kleinschmidt is the webmaster of Traffick.com.