| Have you ever been lost on a highway late at | | | | You'll have to carefully balance putting a |
| night? It's not a fun feeling.In the same | | | | limited set of choices with making too many |
| way that it's not fun to be lost on a | | | | levels and depth to your site.For example, |
| highway, it's not fun to be lost when | | | | have a set of home page menu options of no |
| visiting a web site. When you create a web | | | | more than nine. If you want to create |
| site, make sure that it is easy for your | | | | subpages off of those pages, keep those pages |
| visitors to find their way around.Here are | | | | to nine or less too. Really try to group |
| some tips:1 - Make your pages consistentThe | | | | your information together as you organize |
| most important rule is to make your pages and | | | | your site. If your list of subpages gets too |
| your navigation scheme consistent. Just | | | | long, make a new menu option that will |
| because you can create 58 different layouts | | | | adequately represent some of those items. |
| with whiz bang colors and graphics doesn't | | | | Also consider just linking to pages that are |
| mean that you should. Put your menu in the | | | | NOT included in the menu. When a page of |
| same place on every page. Keep consistency | | | | info is necessary, create an internal link |
| across your pages by using the same header or | | | | and alleviate a menu option all together!4 - |
| page template. This will help your visitors | | | | Allow for a site searchNow we are talking |
| stay oriented within your web site.2 - Place | | | | helpful!!A simple search box which allows |
| the menu with careThe most common location | | | | your visitors to search throughout your site |
| for the menu is the left side of the page | | | | can be very helpful. It can allow visitors |
| with menu items running vertically down the | | | | to get to the information they want quickly.5 |
| page. This generally works best for all but | | | | - Create a site mapMost every web site should |
| the largest web sites. Many internet users | | | | have a site map. It's a page on your web |
| expect to see web site menus in this location | | | | site that lists and links to all the pages on |
| too.Alternatively, you may place your menu | | | | your site. It gives your visitors an |
| across the top of your web site. This can be | | | | overview of all the material on you site. As |
| harder to maintain in the long run as you | | | | a bonus, it can help search engines find and |
| make changes to your site. Also, if you have | | | | index all your pages too. (We know of a |
| a long menu, all of your options may not be | | | | great set of tools that does this |
| visible to viewers due the the width of their | | | | automatically!!!)When you create a web site |
| individual computer screens.3 - Remember the | | | | that follows all these navigation tips, your |
| rule of "7 plus or minus 2"Published in | | | | visitors won't feel like they are lost on a |
| psychology journals as early as 1956, the | | | | highway at night. And that is good for your |
| rule of "7 plus or minus 2" states that | | | | web site and for your organization.Herb and |
| people can generally process between five and | | | | Monica Leibacher operate Web Builder Express |
| nine pieces of information at a time. When | | | | |
| you create your navigation, think about | | | | |
| limiting the number of choices to between | | | | |
| five and nine. It's not always possible, but | | | | Create a professional web site for your |
| it can help to have a reasonable number of | | | | business or non-profit organization with Web |
| choices at each level in your navigation. | | | | Builder Express. |