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    How to Make Easy Website Navigation
    By: Lee Cole

    Navigation is how visitors get around your site.

    If your navigation is unclear then your visitors will get frustrated and go away. If they do that, you'll make a lot less money with your website. So the goal with website navigation is to make it clear and consistent. I prefer a simple navigation strategy. Keep it simple for humans and it will be fine for Google.

    In general, my sites work like this.

    The home page is optimized for my main keyword phrase. That's what I call my tier 1 phrase. My tier 1 page links to my tier 2 pages via a navigation bar. Tier 2 phrases are those keyword phrases that tend to be natural groups for all of your other keywords.

    If you have a site on dog training and six or seven good keyword phrases that have to do with training Yorkies, then your tier 2 phrase for that group would be something like "training Yorkies." It's been shown that navigation bars down the left-hand side of the page work best. Although, I do have a number of smaller sites with navigation bars across the top.

    The tier 2 pages link to the tier 3 pages, but not through the navigation bar. The tier 3 pages are your most specific pages. Continuing with the Yorkie example, the tier 3 pages might be something like "housebreaking Yorkies", "walking Yorkies," or "teaching Yorkies to do tricks." It's been shown to be best if your tier 3 pages are linked to through text links in a tier 2 page.

    I've seen a lot of sites that have the navigation both along the side and across the top. Don't do that! It's nothing if not confusing!
    If you're going to use a WordPress blog for your site, then the navigation is already taken care of. What I do is have really major categories on buttons across the top (normal blog format) and then use the "Categories" box for finer divisions, or use text links from the pages.

    I usually let the buttons across the top go to tier 2 pages and navigate out from there via text links.

    For housekeeping type pages like a site map or terms of service, I create a quick, text-based navigation bar in the footer.

    You don't have to do things this way. These are just the best practices.

    The issue here is making it easy for your visitors. When it's your site, it's sometimes hard to see what's confusing for people who are not as familiar with it as you are.
    Lee Cole is an successful internet marketer who can help you get your internet business up and running, and most importantly--profitable! To learn more, [http://www.internet-persuasion-techniques.com/sqpgwebdesign.html]visit Lee's website

    Website Navigation and Layout
    Sitemaps and SEO
    		For those who don't devote too much time on the SEO of their site - this is a good place to start. By submittíng a sitemap to various search engines, you are telling them that you exist and what pages your site has to offer the World Wide Web.
    How to Make Easy Website Navigation
    		Navigation is how visitors get around your site. If your navigation is unclear then your visitors will get frustrated and go away.
    Navigational Options for Your Website
    		There are many types of navigation methods to choose from. You must carefully consider the layout of your site so you can choose the system that will work best.
    Web Site Navigation Best Practices
    		A great user experience will bring visitors back. Navigation is a key element in the user experience.
    Developing a Theme for your Website
    		Every website should have some type of theme or a way of giving your site an identifying look. When visitors come to your website they should be presented with an experience that they will remember.
    Website Navigation and Theme
    		Have you ever visited a website where you keep clicking on links, hoping you are going to find that information you're looking for, only to be led to more pages of links.
    Tips for Improving Website Navigation
    		In order for visitors to find the right information, a website's navigation path needs to be clear.
    Professional Webpage Layout
    		The layout of your webpages says a lot about you and your message. Good webpage layout is the key to a successful website.
    Web Site Design Layout - Five Common Elements
    		Your web site design layout largely depends on the type of website you're building. A sales page, for example, has different requirements than a landing page, and a landing page has different requirements than a niche web page.
    Web Page Design Ideas - How to Use Graphics Creatively
    		Keep your web site design simple, and never lose sight of what you want your visitors to do when they arrive.
    Website Design - 3 Pointers For Color You Must Consider
    		The correct use of color in your website design is paramount to ensure your site is not plain and uninteresting or on the other spectrum too busy, glaring and difficult to look at for a period of time.
    Creating a Basic Web Design Template
    		A "template" is simply a design format which you can apply to all (or most) of the pages in your web site.
    Website Optimization - Optimizing your websiteMarketing Website - Marketing your websiteWebsite Managment - Managing your websiteWebsite Design - Designing your websiteRocketface(R) Webmaster's Article Archives



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