Every Web site has navigation facilities, so that the user can navigate around the site.
Providing good navigation requires a good site organisation, because good navigation relies on the sense of place that this provides.
Navigation facilities appearing on a page of a Web site can be divided into two categories:
- Location (keeping users aware of where they are)
- Controls (providing routes to other places)
Location
Each page on a site needs to let users know where they are within the logical structure of the site. Users can easily lose track of their place without clear information. Some users may enter the site at an inner page and will need to know where they are.
Controls
Controls for navigation are those which take the user between pages on the site (links). Navigation controls tend to be arranged similarly on each page so that they can be found easily. A good set of navigation controls allows users to get where they want quickly, without cluttering the screen with links.
