You must ensure that your website's navigation system is consistent across all pages, especially if you are not using accessibility overlay tools or plugins. It includes the icons you use and how visitors navigate through the site. For example, if your homepage has a top header bar with drop-down menus, all of your other pages should follow suit.
Likewise, the icons you use on your website
must be consistent. For example, if you don't have a phone receiver for the
"contact us" icon on your homepage, consider adding a smartphone icon
to your About page. It's perplexing and can make it difficult for accessibility
programs to understand how to use your website. You should also avoid any
automatic navigation and auto-playing music and videos. It is a good idea to
use accessibility overlay tools to help with these settings.
Here are some ways to create a smooth website
navigation experience for your users:
- Aim for two-word labels. Each
menu item should begin with one or two informational words. Why? Because
when visitors scan the list, they typically see about two words for most
things.
- To begin listing items, avoid using similar words because it will make scanning more difficult.
- Use
navigation items that are left-justified. People
in western countries read from left to right (F-pattern). You improve
scannability by using left-justified navigation items.
- Use all
caps with caution. As you can see, all caps
reduce readability because all words have a uniform rectangular shape. ALL
CAPS may work for one or two-word menu items, but it's best to avoid them
when many menu items are three or more words.
- Keep the
number of top-level navigation options to a minimum. The average human can hold 7+2 objects in short-term memory. So,
when creating a menu, stick to this number. If you create a complex
website, you can offer a limited number of top-level navigation options
and sub-menus for each option.
- Keep in
mind the order of the navigation options. The
order of the items is as important as the number of items. The Serial-position
effect refers to a person's tendency to remember the first and last items
in a series the best. The things at the list's beginning and end are the
most effective because our brains recall them faster than those in the
middle. As a result, the options we place at the beginning or end of our
navigation become more visible.
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