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Website Navigation

by Stevan Baird

What is it with navigation? Well, the web is unique. Surfing or finding information on the web is not like the casual trip into town to buy groceries from the food mart that you have been to many times before. You don't need any directions because you know the route to take. On the other hand, finding information at an unfamiliar web site can be a lot like the hotel you need to find after flying into Bangkok, Thailand. And time is of the essence. When online, it makes a big difference for the surfer to find what they want... quickly. Many people won't wait around to figure out a hidden or strange navigation scheme. They will leave the site sooner then the online business (or entity) would like.

It helps to have signs, directions and landmarks to find the place to drop your bags. On the web the directional aids work best when they are word-associated links. Click on the word "contact" and you will be taken to the page with contact information. This is the most simple and direct way to take someone where they want to go. If you want to look at various products, click on "products", to go back to the home page, click on "home" - you get the picture.

In a foreign place, like Bangkok, it also helps to find someone you can communicate with. Metaphors are used on websites to break the "cyber language" barrier. They also happen to "speak" to our sub-conscious. If we are familiar with the real object that the metaphor is similar to, there will be very little conscious thought when navigating in a scheme that uses metaphors. At the very least, metaphors can help make the overwhelmed newcomers feel more comfortable.

A simple metaphor could be a telephone icon near the word "contact". A less distinctive metaphor that is used quite often in the navigational area of a web site is that of folder tabs. In the upper portion of the web page you will see different "tabs" with linking words on each tab, going horizontally across the page. And then you know where you are because the tab that is in "front" of the others indicates the page you are on. This communicates the familiar "you are here" statement to the surfer. An example of this type of navigation can be seen at http://www.cdnow.com. Barnes and Noble (http://www.bn.com) takes this a step farther. The page that the user is on is indicated by the only tab on the navigation bar, while the others are "faded" in the background.

Always knowing where you are is a strong point in navigation. People can get lost very easy in a site with poor navigation. It makes a big difference for the user to know where they are on every page they visit. Depending on the type or size of the site it can help to know where the page is in relation to the rest of the site. About.com is a good example, they inform the user where they are in their directory site by always showing a path; i.e. About.Com > Health/Fitness > Exercise > Net Links. With this path the user knows that they are at the Net Links in the Exercise area of Health/Fitness at www.about.com.

Intuitive navigation that works can make a website successful. A user will not leave the site with a "bad taste in their mouth" and will be willing to come back again and again. There is much more to discuss on navigation, but for now this article can get you going in the right direction.