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Navigation must be simple. Since it's the backbone of your site, it's imperative
that visitors be able to understand it. Here are two tips on how to make simplicity
a reality in your site:
1. Your link titles need to be understandable.
Visitors need to know exactly what link to click on for the info they need.
Unfortunately, visitors frequently get confused and don't understand what a
link means. Consequently, they aren't sure what info they'll find at the other
end of the link.
Often, a link name that makes complete sense to you will mean nothing to the
visitor. For example, I once used a link called "Resources" in the
navigation bar of a site for a client. This
section of the site contained various articles and links to outside sites with
helpful information.
However, after a little bit of testing, I discovered that most people had no
idea what I meant by "Resources". They didn't know what kind of information
was in that area. Also, when visitors tried to look for articles, they didn't
think to check the Resources section.
In other words, the link wasn't doing anyone any good.
The difference between your understanding of a term and a visitor's understanding
of the same term can be rather drastic. This happens because you are so close
to your own business and your own site.
It's important to remember that visitors don't know nearly as much about your
business as you do. They often have no background knowledge, and they might
not know standard terms in your industry. Sometimes, you'll have to work to
come up with terms and phrases for your links that are meaningful to the visitor.
Here's one general principle: Don't use clever terms.
Although clever attention-getters often work well in the offline world, it's
different online. In character with their generally hurried attitude, web users
want to know exactly where they are going and what they will find when they
click on a link. They don't like guessing games and are usually not enticed
by clever lead-ins. What lies beyond them is simply not clear.
Cleverness doesn't belong in navigation unless you're positive the meaning
will be understood by everyone. You should avoid anything that isn't straightforward
and clear. Steer away from any terms that obscure what your links are really
about.
Also, you should be very careful about using industry-specific terms. You might
be suprised to find out how much of your lingo doesn't make sense to people
who aren't familiar with your industry. Carefully evaluate each of your links
to make sure you're not using a confusing term.
2. Navigation options need to be kept to a minimum
The second way you can simplify your navigation is to make the amount of options
manageable. Visitors tend to get overwhelmed if you give them too many choices.
They aren't able to focus. Rather than seeing each individual option, they only
see a mass of links.
An additional reason not to include too many links is that you ordinarily shouldn't
send visitors in a lot of different directions. If you've established a primary
goal for your site (you have, haven't you?), your site should revolve around
accomplishing that goal. So it's in your best interest to keep the options down.
That way, you're able to steer your visitors in the direction you want them
to go.
Keep your navigation menus to 5-7 options or less. That's the max amount you
can have without losing your visitors' concentration. Any more than that, and
they aren't able to discern an individual choice.
If you find yourself having more than 5-7 options in each of your navigation
menus, try to pare them down. It's better to simplify the list and make sure
visitors can evaluate everything than to cram everything in when visitors will
miss most of it.
If you really need more than 7 links, group the links into a few categories.
Although this can still get overwhelming, it helps significantly if you categorize
links for visitors. They can latch onto one category and narrow it down from
there, rather than having to deal with the whole list at once.
Overall, try to objectively evaluate your navigation from the point of view
of a visitor. If you can, get input from people who aren't familiar with your
site or your business. They'll be a great resource in helping you determine
whether or not your links are confusing or overwhelming.
About the Author:
There are 605.6 million people online. Can they find your business? Jamie Kiley
creates powerful and engaging websites that make sure YOUR company gets noticed.
Visit http://www.kianta.com for a free quote. Get a quick, free web design tip
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