Site Architecture, sometimes called Website Information Architecture, is part of the structure of links in a website.

The links on a Web page create a parent/child relationship between the two pages where the source page is the parent and the destination page is the child.

Among the benefits of having good site architecture are increased crawlability (more indexed pages), better usability, and better search engine rankings.

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Custom buttons add flavor and increase the impact of your site. But, firing up a graphics editor just to change some text gets old fast.

Here’s how to make custom buttons which will reduce load times and give you the ability to easily edit each button text individually.

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We know that persuasion works. We’ve all been talked into doing something that we weren’t sure about only a moment ago. Let’s take what we’ve learned in ‘real life’ and apply the four most common persuasion techniques to web design.

Reciprocity – that nagging feeling that once you’ve been given something, you’re obligated to give something back. This tactic is used with free gifts all the time – give away a freebee and a customer becomes more likely to return the ‘favor’ with their business and/or trust. Think about swapping a freebee for something as simple as an email address – it’s free and both parties benefit! (more…)

Ever been to a site where it was so easy to find what you were looking for that it seemed to be reading your mind ?

You needed a pair of socks and a belt, to check the shipping policy, to check affiliate possibilities, or to gather some information about the rare llama yarn that was used in those socks – and it was all there, right at your fingertips, no hassle.

If so, you’ve experienced invisible navigation – the kind you don’t notice, but takes you everywhere you want to go, right away!

Chances are good that any site that fits this description employed many of the different types of navigation explained below.

Previously, I’ve offered Tips for Simple Navigation and Types of Navigation.  Here I’ll be describing the Styles of Navigation. (more…)

There are three basic types of navigation: hierarchical, site wide, and locally determined.

Each of these types of navigation can be represented in a tree structure (see figures).  The navigation trees can be traversed vertically or horizontally by following the links (lines) between the elements.

In an earlier post, I offered Tips for Simple Navigation.  Here I’ll describe the three types of navigation.

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The goal: don’t make your visitors think.

The plan: create a navigational system that makes it simple and intuitive to find everything on your site.

If you are in the process of building a new navigational structure for your site, or looking for some ideas to improve your site’s current information architecture, take a look at the best practices below to reduce the amount of thinking you make your visitors do.

You Are Here

Provide your visitors with a “You Are Here” by making it obvious where they are on your site.

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When you walk through the mall, think about the sights, sounds, and smells that greet you as you pass by a store.

What makes you want to go in and look around?  That awesome pair of shoes displayed so nicely in the window or a gigantic, red “50% Off” sign?  What turns you off?  Loud music or merchandise piled everywhere without any organization?

Many of the lessons learned in physical stores can be applied online too.

Walk through this checklist of five brick-and-mortar inspired tips and see how your online store measures up.

1. Keep Things Neat and Clean

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