Navigation steers your site - By Pradeep Ullal

I have content but how should I manage it? You have a lot of excellent content on your site is great, but is it accessible? Many websites are a real nightmare when it comes to finding something there. This tutorial is intended to highlight the most important things to remember when you are organizing your content.

Planning your Navigation...
The key is proper planning. The step-by-step procedure below is the way I recommend when deciding on a navigation structure. Only you can decide on how you want to organize your site. Hopefully the following will help you in making that important decision:

• Create a Blueprint of your site by creating a sitemap on a piece of paper.

• Decide on the topics you want to cover inside your website, and create separate sections.

• Categorize your content pages to match the main categories.

• Give your pages short names, and list them below the category titles.

• Rename your files so that you could easily trace them when needed.

• Create subcategories where needed if your main category covers two ore more related subjects.

• Once you've done this you will have a decent structure of your categories, subcategories and pages.

• Create an HTML version of your Sitemap, and link the pages to this map.

• Create a main navigation bar with links to all main category pages, such as the one we have in use above.

• Start out with a text version first. You will use this menu on all your pages. (This way all your major categories are accessible from any point in your website)

• Create a submenu which will link category related pages with one another - just the way you've done in your sitemap.

• Check out our menu on your left hand side for an example. Note that all links inside this menu are related to this category. Once you've done this your site will be easy to navigate.
  
  Look for more tips below before you start on the creative part of your Navigation!

What will earn you points...

• A user friendly and functional menu is always the best method to direct your visitors through your site. Do not use a confusing system, as they will make them leave. Dot the " I " and Cross the " T ".

• Place an alternative (or additional) menu, such as a text version at the bottom of your pages, in case your graphics, script or Flash fails to load? ...supply "back / previous page" links on all your pages?

• Do not force visitors to use the browser navigation tools. ...supply "go to top" links on rather lengthy pages? Again, this is a valuable and often used link, especially on long pages.

• Supply links to contact the website administrator (webmaster) directly

• Supply "sitemap" links on major pages to help your visitor finding your content of interest?

• Ensure that links inside your content are clearly visible, especially if you are using style sheets to decorate your fonts. Example: By default, all hyperlinks are underlined. If you decide to hide the underlining, give them a distinctive color which will make them recognizable.

• A search engine, that will search YOUR pages only, will be a huge asset to your site. Use links to relative content / topics inside your content to "catch" your visitors' attention. This is an indication that you've done your homework working on your links. Example: Don't tell your visitors to use the menu bar to visit to your awards page. Rather supply a direct link to your awards page by hyper-linking the words "awards page".

Things you should avoid...

• Avoid using "Interactive links" such as popup pages, or links that open themselves.

• Avoid using "rarely used plug-ins" They require additional download time, and the chances are that the selected plug-in is no longer available or incompatible with your visitors' computer and/or browser. If you choose to use them anyway, supply additional and/or alternative navigation.

• Java script applets, Flash and Shockwave navigation may be cute and attractive, but remember: they require a considerable amount of resources and download time. On slower connections they may even fail to load, and your site will become innavigatable.

• Internal Links: ...should never be broken! ...should never open new windows! ...should never open in a wrong frames if you use frames!

• External links: If you use frames... never let your external links open inside your site's frames! If you don't use frames... never allow external links to replace your site.

• Use appropriate "target" tags to avoid this from happening.