In the USA we read from top to bottom and from left to right. Your most important piece of information should be closer to the top of the page, and more to the left of the page.
Thus, your web site navigation should be either top or left side navigation. Bottom supplemental navigation links (such as privacy statements, even contact us) are customary, but the main navigation belongs either across the upper 1/4 of your page, or along the left hand margin.
Make sure when planning your navigation that your visitor can get to every one of your pages within 4 clicks … 3 is even better. Mouseover menus help in this regard, but try to organize the menu in such a way that there are no more than 3 levels in any given menu item.
One last thought. Be sure to check every link on your navigation menu. How embarassing to have a link on the menu go to a non-existent page. And don’t put up “under construction” pages. Just don’t put up the menu link until the page is done.
Tags: site development
