Five Rules of Effective Website Navigation

Navigation is a key component of a website, relating directly to its success. Also known as a button bar, website navigation is the gateway into the different sections of content, and there are some general rules to follow to design it effectively.

1. Navigation Should Be Easy to Find (Very Easy)

Web users are impatient, and they're not going to hang around a site very long if they can't find their way around. Navigation should be a prominent element of your design. Since it will often take up much less space than other elements, it should stand out enough so it doesn’t get lost amongst a sea of content. The most common location of a button bar is across the top of the page, as users should not have to scroll down to navigate further into your site.

2. Keep it Consistent

Site navigation should appear in the same location on every page of a site. It should also maintain the same style, type and colors. This will enable users to get used to a site and feel comfortable browsing it.

If navigation were to jump from the top to the left, disappear, or change colors from section to section, frustrated visitors are more likely to go elsewhere.

3. Use Obvious Section Names

The section names of a site, especially as labeled in the navigation, should clearly state what lies behind them. Obscure, general words like “resources” and “tools” should be avoided when possible, as they only lead to users clicking on multiple buttons before finding what they are looking for. Stick to obvious button names such as “news” and “podcasts” to avoid confusion.

4. Less is More

Too many navigation buttons, while leading into more sections, may just leave a user with too many choices. A long list of options keeps the visitor from getting into the most important content areas of your site. Instead, consider drop-down menus that break down top-level buttons into sub-sections. Also be careful about too many separate navigation bars. It is common to have up to three options for member-based content-driven sites (such as one main navigation, one for user accounts, and one at the bottom for legal disclaimers). However, if they aren’t clearly defined the user won’t know where to look, or click, and three separate choices is already pushing too many. For simpler sites, such as a portfolio, stick to one.

5. Remind the User Where They Are

Once a user clicks into a site section, it’s a good idea to remind them where they are. Use a consistent method to highlight the section a visitor is in, such as a change in color or appearance. If the site has more than one page per section, be sure to leave the button clickable so users can use it to get back to the main page of that area.

Fuente: graphicdesign