Well, this may seem like a small detail, but check out what happens when you click on the Search link in my navigation bar. The page automatically moves itself down — you can see the scroll bar slide up all by itself — until voilà, you are at the bottom of the page where the search box is. When you click on Back to Top, it automatically slides itself back up. This is accomplished with javascript, but there’s a plugin that does it for you so you don’t have to write a single line of code.

So, um, that’s cute, but what’s the big deal?

First and most important, I think it helps with accessibility. Links that jump to another section of the page you’re already on can be confusing, especially when the new section is far enough down that you can’t see the header any more. When you see the page scroll, it’s obvious where you are: on the same page, just farther down.

Second, I really didn’t want the search box at the top of the page. My goal for this design was to make it as clean and uncluttered as I possibly could. And yet, people expect to find a search box in the top right corner (at least, I do). This way, the link is still where you would expect to find it, but the box itself is neatly tucked away in the footer. Not to toot my own horn too much, but I’m very happy with this solution.

And third, ok, yes, it’s cute. I find myself idly clicking back and forth between Search and Back to Top… a lot.

The plugin is called Smooth Scrolling Links. It’s super-easy to install, and it worked perfectly on the first try. Two thumbs up.