Technologies And Design Elements To Improve Web-Site Navigation

As you browse the Web, you will find sites that implement just about every type of navigation scheme you can think of and then even some more! However, certain common factors do emerge. The use of menu bars, either horizontally or vertically oriented, are the most common way of allowing users to move through your site.

Sites with a great deal of content often implement dynamic menu bars that change to present the most relevant options on each page. Sites often use some kind of "feedback" or special effect to let users know where certain navigation elements are located, such as graphics that change colors when the users point their mouse at them.

You can use a variety of technologies and design elements to implement Web site navigation. As you consider different navigation techniques, keep the following seven basic comparison factors in mind:

Visual

Does the technique look and like a navigation element that users are accustomed to seeing? In other words, is it a button or a menu that users will recognize as a navigation element?

Feedback

Does the technique offer some form of feedback to indicate that a user has pointed at or clicked a particular navigation element? This type of feedback can be important because users often explore a site by moving their mouse around to see what happens. Navigation techniques that allow individual elements to respond to this activity make the overall navigation more likely to succeed.

Accessibility

How does the technique work when a visually impaired person attempts to use the site with a specially equipped Web browser? If this demographic is important to your company, pay special attention to this capability.

Overhead

Some techniques servers, Web data transfer to many other techniques that require the browser, Web browser is required. If the customer is using the technology to slow page loads and high overhead, likely to be bored and go to the competition to give up one, customers will access the site through a slow connection.

Scalability

Does the technique offer any particular advantages to make growing the site easier? Some navigation designs may require you to redesign the entire site every time a new feature is added. Others may simply require a few minor modifications to add several new departments to a menu.

Space

Some technical, and philosophy of your website in combination, requiring a large space on the screen. Other technology allows you to make a more extensive selection, navigation, and use less screen space. Please keep in mind that your navigation elements should not occupy the majority of the screen. This is your customer's content to grasp, rather than the menu bar.

Compatibility

How well wills this technique work within the available range of Web browsers? If one of your objectives is to have your site usable by as many customers as possible, pay attention to the techniques that offer a broad range of compatibility, and steer away those that are limited to a smaller set of browsers.


Navigation Technologies

To implement the site's navigation, you can be one of the four most important technologies. The oldest and simplest of these technologies is the basis for static HTML page. One level is higher that the static HTML page that is dynamically generated on the server. Web pages can be given more interactive possibilities with Dynamic HTML (DHTML), whether written in VBScript or JavaScript. Java offers the opportunity to use a complete, stand-alone application program as a navigation aid.

Static HTML

Static HTML links are the oldest and simplest form of navigation on the Web. They can be less exciting than their dynamic counterparts, but remain one of the most effective navigational techniques on the Web.

Dynamically Generated Static HTML

If your site is constantly growing and changing, static HTML will require a constant effort to keep the navigational elements in line with the site's growth. A common solution to this problem has been to dynamically generate the navigation elements when the page displays. When using the DHTML, you don't have to manually update elements as the site grows, because an automated process generates the navigation elements as necessary, based on the information in a database.

VBScript and JavaScript Dynamic HTML

DHTML is a technology that allows you to embed programming code in the Web pages that are sent to user's computers. DHTML code actually executes within the users Web browser, and can change the appearance and content of the Web page in response to the user's actions on the page.

In Finality

You can use the various elements of technology and design to achieve the site navigation. When you take into account the above-mentioned seven basic considerations, to compare different navigation technology to maintain. Visitors, is becoming a competitive global e-commerce e-commerce rare rare. Those who retain access to your longer so that they convert into customers. Site navigation technology to help you do so.

Flash Drop Down Menu: Give Life to Your Site

Drop down menus have become an integral part of website design which acts as an effective tool bar. Since many areas are highly fragmented, a drop down menu diffuse a clean layout and provides a structured and organized look.

A drop-down menu can be used with JavaScripting and DHTML. However, they have some restriction on the graphics and animation. Therefore, a flash graphic design can give the appearance of your menu an animated and attractive appearance. You can also customize your menu through much of a design Flash.

Thus, in what aspects of the Flash web development to provide drop-down menu to customize look and feel? So, this design can customize the font size of the drop-down menus, buttons, size and color of fall, flip key color, and speed drop-down menu. However, if one is to build such a menu, he or she should pay attention to the integration of function should be user-friendly, the menu with other Flash, such as the Flash player, action, Macromedia's MX2004, Macromedia multiple versions of the application is compatible with Flash 8, and Adobe Flash CS3 and so forth, in addition to the technical compatibility and involved in the layout of the menu buttons should be simple.
Drop down menus are now a part of almost all interactive websites especially the online gaming sites. Such sites are designed in such a manner that the visitor, i.e., the player feels that he is totally involved in the game. As such, the highest level of interactive and lively design is required in Flash game design. Animated drop down menus are specially created by using Flash scripting to give the players a feel of the game.

Flash by creating a drop-down menu to surf faster and easier and interaction. So, why not for your site?