Posting articles always seems to come last on my list of to dos but I am finally getting around to adding another one. Moving along with the “What Makes A Good Website” lists, Navigation is next.

Navigation is probably the single most important piece of a website and if it isn’t done well, the cascading effects can be disastrous. Navigational menus are not only beneficial for your visitors but search engines and spiders utilize the navigation on your site to create a road map for others within search results.

Navigation is not limited to just having a pretty menu, it also encompasses handling pages that don’t resolve, maintaining consistency throughout your website and making it easy for your users to find things no matter where they are on your website.

Menus and Base Navigation
My own rule is to have two or three methods for users to get back where they started. For me this usually includes a main menu that allows users to get to almost any page on my website. When there are massive amounts of pages, of course we don’t want all of those cluttering up the website. Organizing them in a dynamic menu makes more sense. I tend to avoid menus that are entirely done in javascript (although you may see some remnants on old sites) because there are still many search engines that can’t find things efficiently within javascript. A combination of javascript and dhtml layers using css works for most of my needs but of course there are many options out there.  Find the one that suits your site best.

I also like to include a small footer menu on my pages. This usually includes things I don’t want on my main menu, such as my privacy policy or other lesser-needed pages but still important. A link to get back home is also included. This is nice for larger pages with more text to allow the user to get back home quickly without having to scroll all the way up.

My third method is typically a small graphical menu at the top that includes images. These usually go to my most important or frequently used pages. These usually include things like the home page, faq, contact info, and then my more popular sections (if of course I have that many pages).

One of the most important navigational features I feel is necessary for EVERY website is linking the logo or header text (be this a title or image) back to the home page. I use this on almost every website I visit and I know that there are many others who do as well.

Consistency - Templates
In addition to having multiple ways to get around your website, the menus need to be consistent across pages. I can’t count the number of websites I have visited where clicking from one page to the next brings up either NO menus or different options. If your visitors can easily find everything no matter where they are, the chances of them viewing more of the website increases greatly. This can be easily accomplished by having a base template either by utilizing editors like Dreamweaver or server-side scripting options such as SSI or php. I prefer the php option because it so easily integrates with html and doesn’t require uploading  and updating every file each time a change is made to the template.

Site Maps
A site map is also a great way to help users get around. These are fantastic for search engines too. The best site maps I have seen typically are organized by hierarchy and cascade down with emphasis put on a top category or section then listing topics underneath. However, your site map needs to fit your website’s order and methodology.

Error Handling
Even the best laid plans are never foolproof. Every now and again you will have a broken link or two or may even have someone who mistyped an address or favorite page. Having a mechanism in place to catch these is essential to a good website. They are really simple and customizable. Including your site’s template around your own custom error text gives visitors the option to find what they were looking for and a sense of familiarity. When they see the navigation they are used to, they are more apt to look around for the page they were trying to find initially. Since there are many different platforms and options for your 404 page, I won’t list them here. A quick search in any search engine for “setting up a custom 404 error page” will bring up plenty of results and instructions on how to do it on your own server or account.