» Navigation
Updated: August 25th, 2009
Good content is useless if the user cannot find it and a content rich website is useless if the user cannot find their way around. In this section I cover common tools and conventions for helping the user browse freely:
- Layout
- Whilst an infinite number of layout options are possible there are a number conventions that a user may expect when visiting your site. I discuss how a user may see your website when they first visit the page and the things that you should provide to allow them to familiarise themselves.
- Where am I?
- In this article I cover some of the instinctive places that users look when trying to find their current location on a website and how you can reinforce this information in your headings and navigation.
- Where is it?
- Your visitors will often search for content on your website and I discuss how you can enable them to do that using search fields and site maps. I also mention how a good site structure can be crucial for navigation.
Navigation can turn a first time visitor into a regular subscriber by allowing them to quickly and easily identify the content and the value of your website. Their attention spans can be limited, so it is vital that you design for smooth browsing.