How to give directions?

ALT, FAQs, what else?

[Sinner_G]

I have this site on which certain parts are a bit complicated. So I would like to help my visitors find their way around there. What are the possibilities?

So far I've got:
- FAQ
- Glossary of terms
- ALT texts on images
- title attributes on all elements (not implemented yet, but will be somewhen)
- guided tour (not implemented, not sure how to do it yet)
- a help icon launching an explanatory pop-up
- I've thought about using javascript to write into the status bar, but I guess no one would see it

Any other ideas?

[jackofalltrades]

sinnerG

I think the best solution would be to not make it complicated. :)

Is the complexity necessary?

If it is, you should work on simplifying the process, by creating step by step stages.

You could have different versions for different levels of users. (if someone came back, they wouldnt have to go thru the idiots guide - they could go thru the express method).

For example, instead of your tour, have one process which the user goes thru the complicated part, assisted by inline help. ie, an idiots guide.

More advanced users can just go into the express section, which has less stages and is quicker (but would be too complicated for your standard user).

good luck!

JOAT

[Syren_Song]

Won't a site search engine, or a site map with good descriptions do the job? How complicated are we talking here?

[Sinner_G]

Is the complexity necessary?

Yes.

you should work on simplifying the process, by creating step by step stages.

The whole process is quite complex and I already divided it in steps, spanning 7 pages (yes, I have thought about a progress bar, like "you are on page 4 out of 7). What I am trying to do now is to help users take each step.

ie, an idiots guide.

That's basically what I thought of as guided tour. Having a big button saying something like "If you are here the first time, we suggest you take this guided tour". Returning users would of course know the basics, but could find things they forgot using other help tools.

These other help tools are the ones I think about now.

Syren_song, search engine and sitemap will be implemented, but as it is a process, I prefer not to use them there. It would be difficult to do without either opening a new window, which I would like to avoid, or taking the user away form his process, which would complicate things as I would have to find a way to let him return where he was with all data included.

[Brett_Tabke]

I'm a big believer in the "related" link. At the bottom of the page, put a set of links to the next logical and last logical pages. For example:

Related:

• Do Icons help site usability [webmasterworld.com].
  
• Building small business websites [webmasterworld.com].
  
• Writting for the web [webmasterworld.com]
  

[Syren_Song]

I agree with Brett. Most long tutorials I've gone through, as well as long multi-part articles, seem to have links at the bottom of each page showing where you are currently and what else is available as part of the current section/article/tutorial/whatever.

It's a nice way to tell folks where they are in case they break into the middle somehow, or if they have to stop midway through and want to just pick up where they left off.

You may want to consider that as another option.