| There are some things you should consider when | | | | navigation menu |
| it comes to your website, extra attention should | | | | |
| be paid to every minimum detail of the site to | | | | You have to provide your visitors with a simple |
| make sure it performs optimally to serve its | | | | and very straightforward navigation menu on |
| purpose for you. Here are five important rules of | | | | your website. This way even a young child will |
| thumb to observe to make sure your website | | | | know how to use the navigation menu. Stay |
| performs well. If you follow these you will have a | | | | away from complicated Flash based menus or |
| website perform the way you want and need. | | | | multi-tiered dropdown menus. If your visitors don't |
| | | | | know how to navigate, they will leave your site. |
| 1) You should avoid the use of splash pages | | | | Also make the navigation menu stand out to your |
| | | | | visitors. Having a navigation menu that your visitor |
| A splash page is the first pages your visitor will | | | | can’t find or see will also make them leave |
| see when they arrive at your website. Splash | | | | your site. Remember the importance of colors. |
| pages normally have a nice image with words like | | | | |
| "welcome" or "click here to enter". The visitor to | | | | 4) Make sure you have a clear indication of where |
| your site must then click this image to enter your | | | | the user is |
| site. In fact, they are just nice images on your | | | | |
| page. They in fact have no real purpose. Do not | | | | When your visitors are deeply engrossed in |
| let your visitors have a reason to click on the | | | | browsing your site, you will want to make sure |
| "back" button! Give them the value of your site | | | | they know which part of the site they are in at |
| up front without the splash page. | | | | that moment. That way, they will be able to |
| | | | | browse relevant information on your site or |
| 2) You should avoid using excessive banner | | | | navigate to any section of the site easily. Don't |
| advertisements | | | | confuse your visitors because a confused visitor |
| | | | | will leave your site very quickly. |
| Even the least net savvy people have trained | | | | |
| themselves to ignore banner advertisements. So | | | | 5) Try to avoid using audio or video on your site |
| you will in turn just be wasting valuable website | | | | |
| real estate. Instead, provide more valuable | | | | If your visitor is going to stay a long time at your |
| content to your visitors and weave your relevant | | | | site, reading your content, you will want to make |
| affiliate links into your website content. Doing this | | | | sure they're not annoyed by some audio or video |
| will let your visitors feel that they are not being | | | | looping on your website. If you insist on adding |
| pushed to buy from you and instead want to buy | | | | audio or videos, make sure your visitor have |
| from you. It will also make your site more eye | | | | some control over it -- volume or muting controls |
| friendly to the visitor. | | | | would work fine. Also you can let your user |
| | | | | control whether or not to play the audio or video. |
| 3) Make sure you have a simple and clear | | | | |