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Web Design Information |
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Tips On Effectively Organizing Your Navigation
Not all links are created equal. While all of your links may be important, you must sort and prioritize to come up with an effective navigation scheme. Here's what you should keep in mind: 1. Sort your links Your links should be organized according to their relationship to each other. Any time you can find a way to divide your links into two or more categories, do so. If you have more than 5 or 6 links, categorizing becomes very important. Try to find some natural groups. For example, suppose you sell widgets, and your site has this set of links:
Your major categories are:
When you separate the two sets of links according to those major categories, it becomes much easier to sort the available information. The simple reason is that a choice between two items is less complex than a choice between 6 items. It's the principle of dividing and conquering. Take a look at the following site: Notice the four main categories--Products, Resources, Support and Purchase. These four categories help visitors narrow down at a glance which area they need to look in to find the info they want. Imagine if all of those links were lumped into one long list. How much harder would it be to figure out where to go? Often, you might not have clear-cut categories. For example, you may have three links that all go together in one category (such as "Products"), plus several more miscellaneous links. Even if the miscellaneous links don't fit conveniently under one category name, you can still group your links. Put the three product links together, then all the miscellaneous links in a separate place. 2. Prioritize your links Hopefully, you have some idea of what you want visitors to do on your site. Your site should be designed to drive a specific action--in other words, get visitors to do a specific thing. Once you've decided what your primary goal is, your navigation should reflect it. The links that pertain most closely to your main goals should be emphasized the most. You need to guide the visitor in the direction you want him or her to go. Prioritize. Ask yourself the question, "What is most important?" What do you really want to accomplish? (I'll give you a hint: "About the company" should not be a top priority link.) Here are several examples of sites that prioritize well: On the home page, you'll see three main links. These links are geared at attracting the company's major types of customers. All other links on the page are much smaller. On this page, it's clear that the company wants visitors to click on one of their three product links: Publish, Search or Promote. The site does a good job of getting attention and guiding the visitor in a specific direction. Right from the beginning, it's obvious that the company wants visitors to join one of their three clubs. All other links are relegated to the bottom of the page. By carefully prioritizing, these sites are able to narrow down the choices and make it more likely that visitors will head in the direction they want them to go. About The Author There are 605.6 million people online. Can they find your business? Jamie Kiley creates powerful and engaging websites that make sure YOUR company gets noticed. Visit http://www.kianta.com for a free quote. Get a quick, free web design tip every two weeks--sign up for Jamie's newsletter: http://www.kianta.com/newsletter.php
MORE RESOURCES: Why Custom-Coded Websites Are Becoming Essential for Local Miami Brands - Insights from Digital Silk Newsfile ThriveLine Web Design & SEO Introduces Cutting-Edge Website Solutions for Dental Clinics The Globe and Mail 2/6/25 – EXPLORE OUTDOOR HAWAI‘I SITE WINS WEB DESIGN GOLD Department of Land and Natural Resources GoDaddy Airo: An AI-Powered Revolutionary Solution for Asian Entrepreneurs and Small Business Owners WhaTech Unveiling the invisible hand: how AI is reshaping web design UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media Web Design and Development Muskegon Community College Grège Website Design Analysis DesignRush Capacity Interactive Website Design Analysis DesignRush Digital Silk Explores How Miami Brands Can Optimize Their Websites for a Mobile-First Audience Newsfile Herbertus Website Design Analysis DesignRush Neri Oxman Website Design Analysis DesignRush Atomle Website Design Analysis DesignRush Website Design Trends 2025: How to Stay Ahead with Site.pro Indonesia Expat Boomex Agency Website Design Analysis DesignRush Massachusetts Prison Program Teaches Coding, Web Design Government Technology Web 3.0 And The Evolution Of Website Design: What You Need To Know Harlem World Magazine Digital Silk Shapes NYC Web Design Trends for 2025 Yahoo Finance 11 Best Interactive Website Designs in 2025 DesignRush Faculty Profile: Libby Perry (Editing for the Web, Web Design - Media Communications) Full Sail News 16 Best Modern Website Designs of the Moment DesignRush Minuteman Press Elevates Fayetteville Businesses with Expert Web Design Greater Fayetteville Business Journal 10 Best Medical Website Designs (2025) DesignRush 18 Best Tech Website Designs in 2025 DesignRush The Opportunity Agenda Web Design Analysis DesignRush 7 Best Drag-and-Drop Website Builders – 2025 Overview CyberNews.com Web Design Statistics By UI/UX, Market Size, Web Development, Industry and Demographics Coolest Gadgets 5 Upcoming Web Design Trends for 2022 SitePoint Top Web Design Trends in 2024 Netguru The Quake's Website Design Analysis DesignRush Wanted For Nothing’s Website Design Analysis DesignRush Best website design service of 2024 TechRadar Interview with Jack Watson, Branding and Web Design Expert CreativePro Network KFC Website Design: Detailed Overview DesignRush The Importance of Responsive Web Design in 2024 The Gila Herald |
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