Make Web Site Navigation Easy For Your Visitors

Contributed by Elaine Landau

When companies are determined to have the latest and greatest web sites, they have recognized that there are firms out there with sensational sites that are attracting thousands of visitors. Everyone wants the bells and whistles that will attract potential buyers by the boatload.

Well, it is all very nice for a web site to appear high-tech and good looking while promoting the idea of spending lots of money, but if the customer does not know how to navigate your site, you have just lost a potential customer and probably for good.

Nobody wants to feel stupid. Not being able to figure out how to put a product in a shopping cart makes a visitor feel stupid. Nobody wants to feel confused. If your site has too many links to choose from or too many buttons to push, you’re asking the visitor to do too much. They will most likely opt to visit an easier, less confusing, less challenging site.

If a visitor to your web site is comfortable with the functionality of your site, you will have an easier time building customer loyalty. Many customers have basic computer education and basic Internet training. The last thing you want your web site to do is chip away at their Internet confidence.

If you keep the navigation of your web site easy and effortless, the comfort level of your customers will increase. As the customer goes further into your site, away from your home page, he/she wants to know that the navigation will stay consistent. They have “learned” how to get around your site; they do not want to spend the time and energy “relearning” how to get around after they are in.

Your web site credibility increases with navigation consistency. Why? Because your message is clear. Customers don’t feel jerked around when you present a unified, cohesive site. If customers feel comfortable navigating through your web site, they will feel at ease doing business with your company. With an organized well-thought-out site presentation, your company sends a subliminal message that it is that together in all aspects of business. An excellent web site promotes credibility and a strong company image.

How does your web site avoid looking unprofessional and unpolished?

Use global navigation so that the main links on the home page are featured in the same location on all pages within the web site. The links should be presented in the same order on every page. Nobody wants to spend time searching for links. By keeping them in the same location and in the same order, the customer learns how to get around your site with little or no frustration. The customer knows that he/she can easily and quickly get to the main sections of your web site. If your web site has a lot of buttons, keep the design of the buttons consistent throughout the site. Why? Because it may confuse customers. It is best to keep the location and shape of your site buttons consistent. Designers may resist consistency, but button styles, fonts, link colors and placements should remain the same throughout the site. Designers may also want to add drama and interest to your site, but be sure that it does not add confusion and clutter. A busy design does not promote familiarity.

Visit other sites to see if there is a common style of navigation. Do not try to depart from that navigation style for the sake of being different. If a customer has already been “trained” on other sites, when he/she visits your site, that customer will feel instantly comfortable with your navigation and might just stay a little longer to shop, browse and become familiar with your company.

There are millions of people who visit the Internet. If your business web site is designed well enough, you will attract customers. If your navigation is easy and consistent, you will keep customers.

About the Author:
Elaine Landau is a freelance writer, publicist, web site editor, and television writer with more than 15 years of experience in marketing, advertising, and publicity.

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