Navigation menus provide a path for users to browse a website. A good navigation menu is easy to read and easy to use. Website visitors shouldn't have to find content through trial and error but by following logical menu options to their topic of interest.
Number of Links
The main navigation menu should be limited to seven (7) links or less. Fewer links allow users to quickly identify their link of interest. Additional links can be included as sublinks under those primary links.
Link Labels
Keep it simple but descriptive. The navigation menu isn't the place to be creative. Users want to find the content they're looking for quickly, so plays on words or extremely specific verbiage can be confusing. For instance, if your newsletter is called "The Monthly Scoop," you may still want to use "Newsletter" in the navigation menu, as new users or members won't know what The Monthly Scoop is.
Guide the User
The purpose of a navigation menu is to guide users to content within your website. When planning a navigation menu, consider what a new contact or potential member may be looking for. Be sure that labels are clear and follow a logical path. For instance, a link to the Contact Us page would be appropriate as a top-level link or under the About Us link, but it would be difficult to find if it were under a link labeled "News."
Targets
When a user clicks a link, that resource can open in the same window of their browser or in a new window. Anytime a link is to another page of your StarChapter system, best practice is to have that open in the same tab. Links to a different website and/or to pdf documents should be set to open in a new window.
