Web Site Design – Navigating Towards Success

Posted on Posted in Website Design

An important consideration with web site design is navigation. Users and prospective customers who visit your site would want to easily find their way around, or else they leave. If you have an online business, you would want to generate as much traffic to your website as possible and make as many sales. However, this is possible only if users stay in your site long enough to understand what your site is all about and appreciate what you have to offer. Remember that Internet surfers are an impatient bunch and wouldn’t bother to stay in your site if they can’t easily find what they need.

Web Site Design – Navigation Schemes

There are many navigation schemes you can choose from when planning your site’s web site design. Familiarize yourself with these schemes Know the pros and cons so that you have a web site design that works for your intended audience.

The different navigation schemes are text links, image maps, navigation buttons, drop-down menus, and dynamically generated URL’s. Each navigation system has its pros and cons. For example, text links are easily understood and load fast, while graphic images are more attractive, although they load more slowly. Drop-down menus don’t require much space, but drop-down menus created using Javascript or CGI scripts may not work in old browsers. Dynamically generated URL’s that result from the site’s search function allow users to easily find what they need, but search engine spiders will not be able to automatically index these dynamic pages.

It is best to plan your site’s navigation before you actually go into the web site design. Be sure to choose a navigation scheme that will suit your web site design and the web site templates you decide to use.

Web Site Design – Navigation Tips

Your web site design should be such that users can easily understand your interface. The web site design should also be implemented in a way that users will easily identify links. This can be done by using conventions for links such as menus, buttons, underlined text or other effects. When using non-conventional links, the site should provide instructions on what the user can do. The “three click rule” must also be kept in mind when creating the web site design. This means that every page in your web site must be reachable in three clicks, as users will usually not click more than three times to get what they need.

Below are some general tips when incorporating a navigation scheme into your web site design:

  • Your web site design must have a neat and uniform navigation system.
  • Use text links whenever possible, as they are more easily understood.
  • Your web site design should include a site map so users can easily find what they need.
  • Your web site design should be created such that the navigation system is located on the right, as it will be easier for users to go through the navigation system when it’s located near the scroll bar.
  • Your web site design should have a navigation scheme that is flexible enough to allow for the easy addition of links.
  • The main links and other navigational elements should be grouped together, and the important links should be “highlighted”.
  • Short, clear and concise words should be used for the links.

Keep your web site design both appealing and functional. Make the exploration of your web site a pleasant experience for visitors, and you’ll surely be pleased by the results, too!

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