Website Navigation, how to get it right?

A golden rule of developing a successfully website menu is to follow the principle that you need to guide visitors through your website, instead of asking them to search or "think" too much (also refer to "Don't make me think" by Steve Krug).

Whenever a user views your website, they need to be able to answer these three questions immodestly, regardless of which page they are viewing:

1) Where am I?
2) Where have I been?
3) Where can I go?

Hierarchy.
A good website structure can answer these three questions.
When looking at your website structure you need to consider a hierarchical and a hypertext structure then you need to categorise and label your website content. in other words you need to:

- Categorise your content.
- Group it.
- Label or name the different groups.
- Establish a hierarchy and linking structure.

Visualisation.
Once you have established a hierarchy for your contents, you need to consider the visual impact and effect of your menu or navigation bar. At this point you need to take into consideration that your menu should not take more than 20% of the visual space of a web page, so that it does not interfere visually with your contents.

Speed.
The speed at which a user can find information and navigate your website is another essential factor in getting your menu structure right.
You should try to use the "one-click" system where users can access the page they are looking for just by clicking on one link. This involves eliminating introduction pages or submenus.

Graphics.
The use of graphics and images on a website is obviously essential when presenting your content and your overall company image. However you need to be careful if you choose to use graphics as links to navigate a website. Most web users are now familiar with a certain menu structure where text links are used most frequently, and the use of graphics for navigation can sometimes make it less obvious for users where to click to find the content they are looking for, and this may drive web visitors away.

Navigation structure.
Research shows that the most frequently used menu structures are:

- Left hand side - Vertical Menu.
- Top of page - Horizontal Menu.
- Central categories listings (Yahoo style).
- Drop down menu.

Navigation levels (Menu layers).

Main menu:Groups all main categories or topics and allows easy access to all main sections of a website.
Example or main menu (left hand side of screen).


Local or secondary menu (submenu): This is often referred to as a submenu. This menu type helps users to find specific sections of a website and is often used by visitors who are familiar with a website or have visited before and know where to look for information.
Example of submenu.


Hypertext menu: This is a menu type that allows users to access a page from a link within the content of another page. For example you could, click here to visit Domainz' website.
Having a hypertext menu structure are extremely useful if you want to direct users to certain sections of your website.
Example hypertext navigation link.


Footer menu: This menu type is made of a series of text links at the bottom of the page. It normally replicates the main menu structure but may include other strategic links to important pages such as "site map" or "career page" that do not feature on the main menu.
Example of a footer menu:



A common question when looking at menu types is whether the main menu should appear on all pages. There are different views as to whether this is necessary or useful. Some developers prefer to use "bread crumbs" as a menu system that shows users each step of their website search (preferred for content-rich websites such as news and large portals), while others prefer to stick to the use of the main menu on all pages to allow a quick navigation to other, non-related pages within the website, and some websites use a hybrid system of Main Menu and "bread crumbs" to help navigation.

To learn more about this subject:
A Study of Website Navigation Methods
Thomas S. Tullis, Ellen Connor, Lori LeDoux, Ann Chadwick-Dias, Marty True, & Michael Catani

Domainz' DIY Website Builder features over 200 templates with pre-built menu and navigation structure. Take advantage of our November special offer to develop your own website.