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What is "good" website navigation?

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shallow

12:02 pm on Apr 22, 2010 (gmt 0)

10+ Year Member



My website has the main categories listed in the header area on each page in the site. When you click on a main category link, a page is opened that lists the subcategory menus in the rh menu, the category description and five most recent articles.

When you click on one of the subcategories in the rh list, you're brought to a page that lists the six most recent articles, but to find out the other articles, you have to scroll through the articles by clicking 1, 2, 3, etc.

That is, unless you happen to click on the same subcategory link in the rh column on this second page. If you do, there is finally a drop down list of each article in the subcategory.

I think the navigation is poor and that the drop down menu/list should appear sooner.

I was told by my web developer that with the large number of pages in my site you can't have direct links to everything.

I just think when someone comes into a site, you shouldn't have to squirrel down several levels before discovering all the articles in a subcategory.

Am I wrong about this?

BeeDeeDubbleU

12:21 pm on Apr 22, 2010 (gmt 0)

WebmasterWorld Senior Member 10+ Year Member Top Contributors Of The Month



I was told by my web developer that with the large number of pages in my site you can't have direct links to everything.

He/she is probably right in this.

shallow

12:31 pm on Apr 22, 2010 (gmt 0)

10+ Year Member



Ironically, the web developer has the very type of navigation that I'm asking about at their own site, which probably has more content than mine.

Mark_A

12:37 pm on Apr 22, 2010 (gmt 0)

WebmasterWorld Senior Member 10+ Year Member Top Contributors Of The Month



One of the usability people had a test of good website navigation, one of the tests was to drop a user in onto a deep page in the site, have them go back to the homepage and ask them to find the deep page again as easily as possible.

One thing that helps with that is a location bar ie:

website > category > subject > detailed article

having such a thing at the top of each page..

Also possibly a site search that works ...

shallow

1:35 pm on Apr 22, 2010 (gmt 0)

10+ Year Member



One thing that helps with that is a location bar ie:

website > category > subject > detailed article


If this is what is also known as "crumbs" I do have this near the top of each page under the subcategory links.

Also possibly a site search that works ...


I do have a very good site search.

This has been very helpful. I was going to have the menu articles implemented but maybe it's simply a waste of money.

BradleyT

4:19 pm on Apr 22, 2010 (gmt 0)

10+ Year Member



Whatever gets your users to your money pages fastest - seriously.