One of the most important aspects of web design that site managers need to most concern about is its usability. After all, even with a flashy layout and all the other stuff, a site still won't catch on to users if they keep scratching their heads on how to go along the pages. Thus, in order to retain your visitors, you need to make sure that your site is fool proof when it comes to usability.
Navigation is perhaps the foremost issue that designers need to contend with when developing a site's user interface. It is not uncommon for users to leave a site simply because they can't go anywhere from the home page. Thus, in order for your users to easily make their way around your site, you need have an easy to use navigation bar placed in a convenient location.
For this one, it would be a good idea to place your navigation bar either on the top or at the left of your pages, since these are the first ones that your visitors will look into. Make sure that they are large enough (not too large though) and visible to your users. Also it would be a good idea to put in a smaller and simpler looking navigation bar at the bottom of your pages for extra measure.
Still on the topic of navigation bars, you probably have noticed those bars with animations appearing on them whenever the mouse moves over them. These has become very popular with many sites nowadays. However, though they really look good, they do have one downside. Since most of these menus are made with external scripts, like Flash, those browsers which don't have support for these would not be able to display them. To save your visitors the hassle of having to install additional scripts, it would be better if you stick to the tried and tested way of simply using hyperlinked texts for your navigation bar.
Aside from the main navigation bar, you can further improve your site's navigation by putting in additional navigation buttons. Two of the most important buttons that you need to have are the home and back buttons. Place these in a convenient location, so as not to have your users fumble for the browser control panel for the same functions.
Telling your visitors where they are in your site is also important for user navigation. Thus, it would be a good idea to put in these headers on top of the pages themselves. You don't really need to be elaborate on this one, as simple text will do. What you need to indicate here tough are the specific folders and subfolders where the particular page belongs.
Lastly, don't forget the site map. Many site developers actually do forget this one, probably because of the hard work that needs to be done to make it. However, this, of course, is a bad idea. The site map is very useful for your visitors in case all of your site navigation systems fail. Thus, you should have this ready at all times.
Navigation is perhaps the foremost issue that designers need to contend with when developing a site's user interface. It is not uncommon for users to leave a site simply because they can't go anywhere from the home page. Thus, in order for your users to easily make their way around your site, you need have an easy to use navigation bar placed in a convenient location.
For this one, it would be a good idea to place your navigation bar either on the top or at the left of your pages, since these are the first ones that your visitors will look into. Make sure that they are large enough (not too large though) and visible to your users. Also it would be a good idea to put in a smaller and simpler looking navigation bar at the bottom of your pages for extra measure.
Still on the topic of navigation bars, you probably have noticed those bars with animations appearing on them whenever the mouse moves over them. These has become very popular with many sites nowadays. However, though they really look good, they do have one downside. Since most of these menus are made with external scripts, like Flash, those browsers which don't have support for these would not be able to display them. To save your visitors the hassle of having to install additional scripts, it would be better if you stick to the tried and tested way of simply using hyperlinked texts for your navigation bar.
Aside from the main navigation bar, you can further improve your site's navigation by putting in additional navigation buttons. Two of the most important buttons that you need to have are the home and back buttons. Place these in a convenient location, so as not to have your users fumble for the browser control panel for the same functions.
Telling your visitors where they are in your site is also important for user navigation. Thus, it would be a good idea to put in these headers on top of the pages themselves. You don't really need to be elaborate on this one, as simple text will do. What you need to indicate here tough are the specific folders and subfolders where the particular page belongs.
Lastly, don't forget the site map. Many site developers actually do forget this one, probably because of the hard work that needs to be done to make it. However, this, of course, is a bad idea. The site map is very useful for your visitors in case all of your site navigation systems fail. Thus, you should have this ready at all times.
No comments:
Post a Comment