subject: Website Navigation-An Inseparable Part of Web Design [print this page] Website Navigation-An Inseparable Part of Web Design
Web design in itself is comprised of various aspects. A good website can be designed when all of these aspects are in sync with each other. Website navigation is one such important aspect on which a quality web design stands. Website navigation refers to the path that is followed by visitors to move from one page to another page in the website. This path has to be an effective one, so that the visitors do not navigate away from the site instead of moving through it.
Thus web designers have the daunting task to design the navigation path in such a way so that it is easy to use and at the same time interesting also. Users should be able to get the required information easily without having to search from one page to another in the website. Some of the most used locations of the navigation are given below:
The main navigation which is referred to as the menu is generally located in the left side of the webpage or at the top, just below the logo of the site.
The menu can also be found in the footer section of the webpage, which is at the bottom of the page. The items can be different or even same as that of the main menu.
The design of the menu should be such that, it sticks out from the rest of the web design features in the whole webpage. The menu should be present in all the web pages of the site.
Other than the basic menu bar, there are other means of navigation which can be used in the design of a website.
Navigational Elements
Text Links
Texts or phrases can be used to link to relevant web pages in the website thus making it easy for navigation. Designers should keep in mind, that the internal links should not be too many in one page.
Site Maps
Site maps are very important part of web design which helps the visitors immensely in navigation. A site map contains link to every webpage of the website.
Breadcrumbs
Breadcrumbs are links representing the present location of the customers in the site. They are found just below the header in the top left of the webpage.
Use of Images
Images are another method of web design navigation. They can be used for advertisements, special offers or even for latest or upcoming events. While carrying out the web design, designers should make these images more attractive than the rest of the webpage.
The thumb rule is Not More Than Three Clicks'. This means that the navigation should be designed in such a way so that each page is reachable within three clicks. Thus website navigation is an inseparable part of web design. A good web navigation can be helpful to draw in visitors thus increasing the chances of profit for a business.
