Web Design

Tips for Improving Website Navigation

by Michelle Howe

A business often has more than one target audience it wants to reach with its website. Different customers mean different sales appeals and a homepage needs to be able to direct visitor traffic to go to the right places to get information or make a sale.

In order for visitors to find the right information, a website's navigation path needs to be clear. Without a clear navigation path, visitors will become confused and leave before they can make a purchase.

Here are some ideas to consider when designing the navigation on a homepage:

Make the Navigation Familiar

Most people expect the navigation buttons to be on the left side of the website or at the top of the website. If the buttons are on the right, it makes the visitors hesitate and think. You don't want them to have to think about the navigation; you want it to be instinctive and easy.

The more familiar the navigation, the less likely they will get lost or confused. They will know how to find the correct path to where they want to go.

Use Text Links to Reinforce the Path

People rely on navigation buttons to find the main paths of the website, but it is also important to reinforce the main paths with text links within the content. Again, this makes it easier for visitors to immediately go to where they can get further information without having to think.

Decide on a Path for Each Buyer

As you put the content together on a homepage, or any other page of a website, you need to think about the complete path that you want to create to take the customer from information to purchase. The path will differ according to the audience appeal, and your purpose.

Sometimes your audience needs to be educated before they can make a purchase. In that case, you need to make sure that visitors receive enough information that they will feel confident in making the decision to buy. This type of audience will need to know the features of your product or service as well as the benefits before they can make a decision. It would also be helpful to have testimonials and examples to reassure them that they are making the right decision.

When you have to take the time to educate your audience, you would probably take them from the homepage to another area of the website where they can get further information about your product or service. However, if they didn't need to be educated, they could simply go from the homepage to the buy page and make their purchase.

So, on the homepage, you need to make sure that you have both types of paths available: one for the buyer who needs to be educated, and one for the buyer wants to immediately make a purchase.

Decide on a Path for Each Audience

When you are trying to appeal to multiple audiences, it is important that your homepage has information to appeal to each audience. When visitors come to your website they are looking for information to solve their specific problem. You need to have information that they can quickly and easily identify as the solution to their problem.

For instance, maybe your company offers a product or service that is useful to Human Resource Directors, managers, and individuals. Each one of these three audiences would have a different benefit appeal that could be used in gaining their attention on the website. An easy way to do this is to set up three bullets that are questions with text links to take each audience to a separate page where you can exclusively cater to this audience:

*Are you a Human Resource Director looking for XYZ?
*Are you a manager looking for XYZ?
*Are you an employee looking for XYZ?

You want each one of these three audience members to land on your site and immediately find the path that will take them to the solution they seek.

Conclusion

Good navigation on a website is one of the secrets to having a successful website. The information or content of the website needs to be laid out in such a way that it is easy to follow and logical. The easier it is for people to find information on a website, the more likely it is they will buy. And, the more difficult it is for them to find information, the more likely they will never visit your website again.

Michelle Howe, MBA, president of Internet Word Magic, specializes in writing irresistible copy for websites. Transform the way you do business. Visit her website at http://www.InternetWordMagic.com for a FREE chapter download of her new book Turn Browsers into Buyers.


See more from Web Design


Other Pages You Might Enjoy...

The Meissen Porcelain Manufactory
For more than 300 years the Meissen Porcelain Manufactory has been a central figure in European porcelain. It was at Meissen that the first true hard-paste porcelain was manufactured outside of China, and the story of that accomplishment has the high drama of fiction - all the more intriguing because it is true.

Pirated Glassware that Collectors Want to Own
The 1996 discovery of what is believed to be the wreckage of Blackbeard’s ship Queen Anne’s Revenge, is providing historians and collectors new information about the fragile and transparent objects that came onto the North American Continent before arrival of the first piece of cut glass.

Collecting Antique Furniture
Of all the collectible antiques, the broad category of furniture is perhaps the most widely held and most satisfying. Frequently handed down through generations, the various chairs, tables, cabinets and other pieces are often in use, adding character and constancy to our daily lives. This guide includes an overview of the significant styles and historical periods, and other important information for collectors.

Collecting Antique Clocks and Watches
Information for collectors of antique clocks and watches. Includes a history of clock and watchmaking, an overview of styles, and important terminology.

Collecting Antique Jewelry
Embodying the wealth and treasure of bygone days, the antique jewelry pieces available today include some of the world's most valuable artifacts. Includes a history of jewelry making, an overview of the major historical periods, and a glossary of antique jewelry terminology.

Javascript Chatterbot Workshop
Home of the Do It Yourself Chatterbot Project. Has a ready to go chatterbot shell and full instructions on how to program it.

Update Your Navigation and Other Content Automatically with JavaScript
Learn to use this simple JavaScript technique to change content and make instant updates across your entire site. Whether you update five pages or thousands, this handy web tip is a must read!

Choosing the Right Color for Your Web Site
When people build a web site for their business (or hire a web design company to make it for them), not much thought is put into deciding what color their web site will be as most would rather focus on more important tasks like creating content, web site optimization and promotion. Most simply choose the most web-friendly colors, others use their company’s logo as base while some decide to just use their favorite color.

Designing A Website That Loads Quickly
The amount of time it takes for your website to load onto the visitor's screen is a major influence on traffic to your site. Research has shown that most internet users will leave your website if it takes more than 10 seconds to load and some potential guests will exit even faster. A quick loading website is vitally important to the success of your site.

Research Gives New Insight on Retail Industry Customer Relationships
A new study confirms that customers really do feel strong relationships with the retailers they patronize.

Chateau Villandry In The Stunning Loire Valley - A Must See Garden
The gardens at Chateau Villandry are a sheer delight. They are lovingly and enthusiastically tended by Henri Carvallo, curator of the chateau and great-grandson of Dr Joachim Carvallo who purchased the chateau in 1906.

Singing and recording : What has changed?
Computers and software have revolutionized the way recorded music is created. We are now able to manipulate what we record beyond our wildest dreams.

Online or Traditional Education: Which Is Right For You?
Compares and contrasts online and brick and morter educators giving you the information you need to chart the course which is right for you.

How To Choose the Right Degree For You
The number and nature of college degrees are as diverse as the people who get them. They come in different sizes - associate, bachelors, masters, and doctoral - and in scores of different subjects. So how do you choose the right degree for you? Here are a few questions you may want to ask yourself.

How To Build a Dynamite Resume
Hiring decisions are often made on first impressions. As such, you want to make sure your resume not only explains who you are and what you have to offer, but also does so in a way that is attractive to potential employers. Learn how you can create, beautify, and even airbrush your resume in order to make a lasting impression.

Bring Your Web Site to Life With PHP
PHP is the scripting language that powers some of the biggest Web 2.0 content providers in the business. Whether you're looking to add a simple feedback form to your site, or have your heart set on building the next Facebook, read up on PHP in this informative tutorial and get started tonight.

6 Powerful Dog Training Tips
Dog training should be an opportunity for you to build your relationship with your dog, to create a better bond, and to have some fun in the process.




The MiFio Network

Visit cache.MiFio.com for more pages about business, technology, programming, home, travel and more.

Visit www.MiFio.com the website dedicated to antiques and collectibles.