Web Navigation

Web navigation refers to the way a web user will find their way through a website. Think of it like a virtual map, with areas that guide the user to find the location they need. Every website and web application must have some form of web navigation tool available, whether that consists of a simple menu of page options or a more contextual navigational tool.

All in all, there are several different types of web navigation systems that a designer can implement on to a web page or web application. While web navigation can be a broad topic, the key to having good web navigation is anything from vague.

All the Details

There are three main types of website navigation that a user will typically come across during their web experience:

• Global website navigation – This is a type of display that shows the “top level” sections of the website, describing the main content or pages of the website so that they user can easily see what they will be navigating to if they should click on it.
• Hierarchical website navigation – There are many different types of hierarchical website navigation tools that can be anything from subtle to super detailed. Typically, hierarchical website navigation shows one simple path to every page, no matter what part of the website a user is on.
• Local website navigation – Local web navigation includes the use of a lot of hyperlinks and texts. There will be links within the text of the pages that directly link to other pages on the website.

Among the types of website navigation, there are also different web navigation styles. Different styles indicate how a user sees and interacts with the navigational tools on the website. Styles can consist of:

• Breadcrumbs – This is a way to show a visitor a path within the website itself, showing where they’ve been and where they can head to.
• Tab navigation – Think of this like the tabs that separate different sections of the binder. The user will see tabs with the name of each page they can navigate to.
• Sitemap – Almost every website has a sitemap, and this sitemap is a comprehensive list of all pages and sections a user can visit.
• Text links – A user can click on a part of text surrounded by anchor tags that will take the user to a different part of the website.
• Dropdown menu – This is a common navigational tool that lists all the different location options within the website. The user can then choose from the dropdown menu and get taken directly to that page.

Things to Consider

There are a few main rules of website navigation that dictate whether or not it is a good quality navigation tool:

• Navigation must be consistent. This means that it should look the same on every part of the website.
• Navigation links should be kept together. This makes it easy for the user to find.
• Navigation should require minimal clicking. Don’t make it a puzzle for your user, make it clear and consistent.

By following these simple rules of web navigation, it is easy for users to find their way around a website or web application.