Navigation: Keep it Simple and Intuitive

Good website navigation is central to good website design. A good navigation system allows visitors to reach the information almost instantly. Keep in mind the “the less clicks the better.” It not only allows visitors to move around the website from page to page, but also the search engine spiders.

Navigation design is important for SEO. Navigation using JavaScript, Flash or image maps may work well for human visitors, but these are difficult for the search engines to follow. Standard HTML hyperlinks are the easiest way for the spiders to navigate your website. Bottom side navigation with a series of HTML hyperlinks works very effectively for the search engine crawlers.

Navigation design tips

1. Design the navigation before the graphics. Maintain flexibility for future page additions.
2. Keep it visually simple.
3. Group by topic and use drop down or fly out menus.
4. Use short, clear and precise words in the menus.