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Aug 11

Don’t Underestimate the Importance of Navigation in Web Design

When people are surfing the web they will get very impatient when they cannot find what they want quickly. Navigating the web has to make sense to the surfer and right away, so if the web design is done with this in mind, the layout of an effective website will have similarities to all the others.

You need to use standard conventional links like buttons underlining the text and changing the color. It is not such a good idea to use clever names for the links. Simple is good. Keep in mind the type of people who are going to visit your website and have it designed to suit them.

The elements of navigation are very important so whether you are trying to inform a person about a service or product, or trying to sell them this service or product, the web design for your links can be the important factor to consider.

Inform the visitor to your website that the link is just that. Say you are in real estate and your property is in a specific city so you need a link with a map of that vicinity to guide them to all the particulars about that area. They will need the city name to click on to so specify this on your site. Professional web designers have a rule they use which is the three clicks method. When a person is surfing they will click no more than three times to get the information they are looking for so make sure that they will reach all the particulars of your site within those parameters.

Three clicks on your website should get them to all that they need to know. Keeping your web page with a simple web design is more attractive and is able to keep a person’s interest better than one which is too full of information. People do not want to read a huge amount at one time. People who surf the web are basically looking for information, so only use a short movie or clip if it really adds to your site, and make sure there is an easy way to link to it or they will be gone from your site forever.

The best places for navigation

Top Menus-located below the graphic header page where the logo site is found. These will be expanding menus drop menus or single links. A text or graphic will represent them. A visitor can click on the link to any of them. Bottom Menus can be a footer or menu bar. Footers use text links while menu bars use text links or graphics. These are all very important aspects of web design.

Right side navigation is not so often used but can be on the right side of the page as a text area or column. Most often it is used for advertising. Left side navigation is just the opposite to the right this is located on the left and usually the top of the page.

These are just a few suggestions that you are going to want to keep in mind for your web design decisions.