Planning the Navigation of a Website - Reaching where you want
Keywords: navigation of a website , website navigation, website navigation flow, navigation for websites, effective website navigation, navigation in website,
Effective website navigation is a must-have for every site. A website navigation flow must be optimized to ensure consistency across the entire web site. The navigation of a website should enable its visitors to quickly reach whatever they are looking for with minimal hassles. So an effective website navigation is that which lets one’s potential customers enjoy the services provided on the website with ease of finding.
How to ensure smooth website navigation flow:
- Well Organized Links:
It is important to ensure that all links provided on the website are well organized. This also means that visitors would be easily able to get the information they were looking for under specific or diverse categories. - Consistent Design:
Consistent design is vital for smooth navigation of a website. The ideal way to do this is design the navigation option right at the top. Otherwise, it can be placed at the left side as the user’s vision looks first at these places. It is also best to ensure that users can find the primary links on top of the web page without having to scroll several times. The navigation pictures or images may also be designed to integrate smoothly into the design of the site. It is best to not place navigation links at the page’s bottom side. This would require online users to scroll below just to see the same. - Easy to understand Web Links:
Website navigation should not be confusing for a user. This would not only make it difficult for users to visit the site but it would propel them to never visit the site. So every effort should be made to ensure a user friendly website navigation approach. The links one puts on the site should enable users to understand where they would reach if they click on a certain link. If the links cannot be understood by the users, it defeats the very purpose of navigation in website. - Page Titles/Headers:
The advantage of having page titles or headers is that it helps the online users know what type of information they would get on the page they are visiting. The headers should be typically in larger font, based on page or subject wise separation. The idea is to help easier navigation for the user. - Use Sitemaps:
This is a frequently used method to ensure smooth navigation for websites. As site maps comprise pages with links to most other pages on the site, the advantage is that the user gains access to information on anything in the site. Sometimes one can add graphic image like maps so that users can view the site and its layout. - Back to the top navigation link:
Lastly, when there is too much content to be displayed, navigation in website may be affected. Also, the web page can become far too lengthy, meaning too much vertical type of scrolling for the user. So, dividing the content into separate pages is a better option. Another option is to provide buttons reading "Top", "Back to Top" or such user friendly links on the bottom of the web page.
Navigation for website is critical to enhance a user’s experience and interest on a website. So using these pointers, one can definitely make sure that it is easier for the online users to navigate through one’s site and more importantly, enable users to purchase and continue to visit the site again.
