The ability to navigate through a website is one of the most important aspects of user experience. If a site is difficult to use, users may quickly become frustrated and abandon the site altogether. On the other hand, if users find your site easy to navigate, they are more likely to stay longer and learn more about your organization. Creating an effective navigation design requires careful planning and consideration of both the user’s goals and the overall information architecture of your website. It is also critical to continually evaluate your website’s performance and to test navigational elements to ensure that they are effective. A well-designed navigation system is often the difference between a successful website and one that fails to meet its objectives. It is the tip of an iceberg that represents all the research, strategy, and management behind your website’s information architecture.
To create a navigational structure that supports your website goals, it is necessary to have clear and consistent guidelines about what should go where on the website. This can be achieved through a wireframe process that is both iterative and collaborative. Using a wireframe process can help to ensure that all team members are on the same page with regards to what should be included in the navigational structure of your site. When it comes to creating a logical and intuitive navigational structure, the number of links visible at any given time can have a significant impact on user experience. If too many links are visible on a screen, it can become overwhelming for the user and lead to frustration. In contrast, if too few links are visible, the user might be confused about how to access the information they are looking for.
Another factor to consider when designing a navigational structure is the language you use to label your links. Choosing words that reflect the actual terms used by your audience will help to make your navigation more intuitive. For example, if you sell watches, instead of putting ‘products’ in the navigational link, it would be better to include a more specific word such as ‘analog watches’ or ‘smart watches. Other navigational cues that can be used to help orient the user and lower cognitive effort include breadcrumbs, which are especially helpful for sites with a deep hierarchy of pages. These are often placed at the bottom of a page and show the user where they are in the hierarchy.
Breadcrumbs are also useful for navigating within a product, such as an application or game, that is designed to have a linear structure. Lastly, the back button of a web browser is probably the most well-known navigational cue. It is the lifeline of the web user and has saved millions from getting lost or going down paths they didn’t intend to. By including these cues in your website and products, you can reduce user frustration and improve navigational efficiency.
