Button with link

Hello,

I've got a button element that I'd like to process with php. I figured the best way would be to put a link in the button. For some reason the text turns blue but nothing happens when I click the button. Not even when I click right on the text. I figured I would have to find css to make the link fill the button, but not sure why clicking directly on the text isn't working.

<button class="btn btn-default btn-block top-buffer"><a href="php/scripts/follow_user.php?following='.$profileUser->return_username().'&follower='.$user->return_username().'">Follow</a></button>

Code (markup):

 

My suggestion could be totally off, but why do you even need a <button>?

Just do something like:

<a href="php/scripts/follow_user.php?following='.$profileUser->return_username().'&follower='.$user->return_username().'
" class="button">Follow</a>

Code (markup):

And then turn that class into any button you want:

.button {
background-color :#0043FF;
border: 0.1em solid #0043FF;
border-radius: 0.2em;
display: inline-block;
cursor: pointer;
color: #ffffff !important;
font-size: 1.2em;
text-decoration: none;
padding: 0.2em 0.4em 0.2em 0.4em;
vertical-align: middle;
}
.button:hover {
background-color: #003DE5;
border: 0.1em solid #003DE5;
color: #ffffff !important;
text-decoration:none;
}

Code (markup):

Working fiddle: http://jsfiddle.net/30tsjc4e/15/

 

That's my take, if it's not a FORM ELEMENT why in blazes are you wrapping it in a button tag?!? Just style the anchor and let the anchor do what an anchor does.