10 Quick Navigation Tips

What is it you want your web site to accomplish?

Are you selling a product or service?

Do you offer information?

So Why Then Are You Hiding It?

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Make Your Site Flow!
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Every web site is different but there are certain rules of thumb
you need to follow if you want your web site to be effective:

1. Make sure the main product, service or information is no more
than two clicks away from your index page.

2. Don't hide your navigation, make sure your text links look
like links and don't expect people to automatically assume an
image is a link, if it is, label it as such! An effective
navigation is an instinctive navigation.

3. Standardize your navigation, keep it in the same place in
every page!

4. Create paths for people to follow, categorize your pages and
build your navigation structure accordingly. Don't list a link to
every page from your index page, this is what the site map is
for. Too many links will overwhelm people who won't know
where to go and what to choose. (Paralysis of Analysis!)

5. Have a readily accessible site map or table of contents. If
possible (and reasonable for your site, i.e. several dozen pages)
you can even add a site search engine to make it as easy as
possible to find information on your site.

6. Make sure every page prominently links back to your index
page. This way if someone does get lost they can start over
easily.

7. Don't rely strictly on JavaScript, Flash, applet or other
fancy navigation that older browsers may not be able to "see".

8. Make sure every page (or at least every page selling
something) has a link to a Customer Service and/or FAQ page.

9. Track your traffic, find out which pages are most popular and
why. That way you can open up easier access to low traffic and
take advantage of busier pages.

10. Last but not least my favorite navigation improvement
technique:

Find an innocent victim, someone who has never seen your site and
preferably knows little or nothing about the Internet and stick
them in front of your site. Let them explore it and take careful
notes where they go and where they stumble. Afterwards
interrogate them gently and take their feedback seriously. They
may represent your average user!

Take a look at your site using these ten points and see what
needs to be improved. If you are serious about improving your web
site lay out your web site on paper, where do you want people to
go? Then compare that to your actual web site and make the
necessary changes!

Happy Marketing!

Questions?
Send me an email: mike@surf22.com

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