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Navigation
Imagine entering a
grocery store and finding that there are no signs that describe the items
that can be found in each aisle. Even though the store might be organized,
you would still spend a lot of time wandering aimlessly, looking for what
you need. The same would be true for a Web site.
The navigation bar is the site's directory, a key
element for making an efficient Web site.
A navigation bar appears on every page, and it is
usually located at the top or on the left side. The bar includes navigation
buttons, which are hypertext graphics that move you (when you click on them)
from the current page to another page on your Web site.
These "directory" buttons should be available at all
times so that a visitor can go from place to place on your site easily and
quickly. The navigation allows a visitor to go back "home" at any time with
little effort.
Navigation titles should be short and clear about the
information that you will find if you click on them. The titles should be
broad scoped to describe the major sections on your site, and they should
help your customers find the important information on your site—such as
Products and Services, About Us, or Contact Us—at any given time and from
any given page. Use the Headers and Content planning guide to determine the pages and sections
that you will use on your site, and then decide the navigation titles.
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Consider your navigation as a tour guide for your
site. Your visitors want to know where they should go next.
Visitors' attention spans shorten while they are online.
Because they have many options to choose from, time and clarity are of the
essence. Keep your site competitive by making your navigation smooth and
easy.
The site with the easiest navigation wins. It's that
simple.
Your navigation is the most "functional" of your
functionalities. It is also one of the simplest. Let Mall51.com work with
you to deliver the perfect navigational system for your site and its
visitors.
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