Site Navigation: Tasks and Tools

The most important component of any site is navigation. On how well thought out, convenient and understandable to the visitor, the probability of finding the right and the desire to return strongly depend. The article will list the main navigation tasks of the user, and consider the elements with which they are solved. I will try to show with simple examples which of them should be given more attention, and which ones can be completely eliminated, depending on your interests and implementation.

1 User task: to get to the site

When it comes to designing the site and its navigation, for some reason it is assumed that a person has already appeared on the main page and this is where his path begins. But somehow he had to get on this site! Consider the most common options.
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Instruments:
- transition from search engine;
- site name;
- link to the internal page;
- QR code.

Are you sure that the name of your site is well chosen? Try your friend / colleague / relative to dictate it by phone.
- Hello, son, and where can I read your article about the glands?
- Mom, on Habré, I told you!
- Where where?
- Habrahabrtocar.
- ...

This is by no means the only example of linking to offline, they can be found on advertising posters, in the subway, in the press, anywhere. All these cases are united by one thing: if the user cannot reproduce what he saw / heard, you have lost the client.
Classmates had to stake out in addition to the main one, also the name with one letter “c”, since Despite the fact that all their users attended school, some did not succeed even in the basics of literature.

If a link is sent by a friend or colleague, and you can understand at least approximately what the user expects on the page - this is very, very good. Because the link
http://habrahabr.ru/events/coming/event345 , received in Skype, I can determine that this is some description of the upcoming event, and decide whether to watch it now or later. And when they send me something like
http://lite-mobile.ru/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=shop.flypage&product_id=748&category_id=11&manufacturer_id=0&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=137 - it’s even scary to look there.

QR Code is the best way to give the user the ability to quickly and easily open your website from a mobile device.

In addition, QR code has an interesting feature - by its appearance it is not clear what lies behind it. And many who have QR scanner installed read the code just out of curiosity. What is not additional advertising?

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2 User’s task: Understand “where am I?”, “How can I get here again?”

It is always nice to know where you are, that you are in front of, especially if you are at this place for the first time. And there is nothing wrong with keeping this information always in sight.

Instruments:
- logo (part-time quick transition "home");
- page title;
- selection of the current menu item (directory);
- bread crumbs.



It is not necessary to use them all at once.
If the structure of your site allows you to easily determine how to get to this page or the path can not be clearly described, then there is no need for bread crumbs. On the contrary, if there are differences, depending on how the user got on the seemingly one and the same page - bread crumbs or other obvious path indicators are necessary:
• HBZ Darnitsya -> Fresh Bread -> Spring Bread 300g
• HBZ Darnitsya -> Delay -> Spring Bread 300g

Favicon is responsible for the way your website will look like among the neighbors in the tabs (or bookmarks) of the browser, along with the Title.

3 User task: to get into personal space

By personal space, I mean everything that concerns an individual user and no one else. This can be a personal account, maybe a basket of goods in the online store, even the carefully selected songs by Sofia Rotaru about diseases, collected in the playlist “It was, it’s gone”, can be a “personal space”. All social services are one large private space. So, the user has a task to get into personal space and a subtask to understand that he is already there.

Instruments:
- authorization form;
- change the type of site (in whole or in part) depending on whether the user is authorized or not;
- link to the cart / personal account.

If the user's personal space is the essence of the site, then it is worth giving the authorization form a place in accordance with the significance, namely, dofigishcha! After authorization, you can not pay much attention to the fact that the user is in his space, because there is simply no other. One has only to remember to leave the opportunity to leave the site, otherwise someone may lose their temper.


If personal space is not so pronounced, it is enough to place the element to go to it in the same place. Usually, the upper right corner is used for this. You can not be limited to this - providing the user with the transition to personal space (or to its individual components) in those places where you consider it necessary.

4 User task: Get current information

Almost all sites offering goods or services have a number of conditions, for example:
- region of service (or dependence of something on the region);
- working hours;
- maintenance of individuals / legal entities;
- products for certain groups.

It is important for the user to understand how the information currently displayed on the screen is suitable for him.
- Is it possible to order this delicious pizza in Stavropol, and even at 2 am?
- Are the prices for renting an "apartment in the center" soared so much? Or is it not the price of my city?

Answers to all these questions should be received as early as possible. Ideally, such questions should not arise at all; automatic determination of the place / time should be taken into account by default.

Instruments:
- the choice of the region;
- clarification of details, tips;
- filters.

Do not force the user to first select a product, and then understand that delivery is impossible for him, or that this bread is available only to holders of the Golden Ear 2011 card. A small example of what may change the region:

5 User Problem: Finding something specific

This is one of the most important navigation tasks. It would seem - there is nothing easier than to ask the user what he wants and give what he needs. Ideally, you need a trained consultant:
- How can I help you?
- I would Semenov rye bran.
- Wait a minute, my dear!

in practice, we most often have the following tools:
- Search;
- rubricator.



The user can either go through the logical built directory, or use the "teleportation" in the form of a search.
Teleport begins to act up if:
- search must be searched using Ctrl + F;
- there are similar clues: To search for the phrase “enclose it in quotes”.

Do not be afraid to use a large search field, supply it with tips and a list of popular queries. If the search results fall into different “categories” - do not interfere in the heap, divide the results by categories.

When creating a rubricator it is important to remember the following:
- rubrics should be named in a language understandable to the user;
If you want to sell kitchen utensils, and at the same time hope that students will buy it for mothers and girls as a gift, you should not do the sections "Chapel Makers", "Skimmers", "Stewpots" and the like, not equipped with at least an illustration. Young people just do not understand what you mean!

- headings of the same level should be equivalent;
It is not necessary to place “Pans” / “Pots” / “Glassware” in one level. To avoid such errors is very simple - ask anyone who is not participating in the project to find extra points in your range of values.

- the sequence of updates in all headings should be identical.
If there is a sequence “Frying pans -> With a non-stick coating -> Diameter 30cm -> Frying Pan Hot Bird”, then there should not be a sequence “Pots -> 3 liters -> Made of aluminum -> Taya's Pan”

Card sorting will help in creating a rubricator. Its essence lies in the fact that all the parameters to be used are written out on the cards, and potential users of the system form them into groups in the most logical way, in their opinion. The names of the groups can be given initially or suggested by the respondents themselves.

6 The user's task: to familiarize with the content, choose from the proposed, switch to something else

Another of the most important navigation tasks is to let the user know what is on the site. This will help both those who come up with something concrete to understand what is being offered besides the one who has initially interested in it, and also a simple “surfer” to get acquainted with the content of the site.

Instruments:
- category announcements (dashboards);
- menu (tabs);
- galleries, lists, other ways of presenting information.

Ideally, the main part of the main page should be devoted to reviewing the contents of the site, in any acceptable form. For example, in the form of "announcements" with a brief description of each category:


It should be remembered that the path does not always begin with the main one, so even on the page of a single loaf, the user should know what he can eat:


Thus, the menu performs both the function of switching between sections, and simply makes it clear to the user what is on the site where you can still go.

No less important is how the “listed” information is presented. The user must understand how the list is organized, how many elements it contains, how to view the “next 50 positions”. It should foresee all possible types of sorting, filtering. The result should not reflect the capabilities of the developers, but the needs of users. Sorting bread by the color of the crust and the number of internal cavities with a diameter greater than 3 mm can certainly be realized, but will it be in demand? It is worth the user suspecting that he is confused, that he cannot figure out "why so" and "yes, where is Borodino, three buckets of water for you in the furnace," as soon as you find yourself outside of his grace, and the site is in disgrace.

7 User Challenge: “Find You in the Real World”

If the activity is not limited to the virtual space, you have phone numbers, addresses, appearances and passwords that the user may need - do not hide them!

Instruments:
- contacts, addresses;
- maps and links to them.

It is impossible to foresee when the user wants to go to the “contacts” section; therefore, it’s better that there is always access to it. Even if it seems to you that the information on the site is redundant, still give people a phone number where they can contact with any question. The times are still far when believing the “Internet” will be more than a living person.
If you place physical addresses:
- supply them with a card;
- Describe the path for motorists;
- Describe how to get on foot, by public transport.


Remember that “Barochnaya 4a” is nothing more than a legal address, which can be known to all drivers of a minibus just as “Please stop at the post with storks”. It is best to give a description to a person who has never been with you - let him try to get on it, and then tell you what difficulties he encountered.
Try to open your site from a mobile phone and find addresses / phone numbers there, perhaps this is the only truly important information that should be shown in the mobile version.
Contacts should be placed even on the pages “The site is under construction”, “Technical work is being done”, etc. After all, faced with this kind of "wall", the user can either go to the competitors, or, if you are a monopolist, and even remain without bread.

Please do not leave people unattended!