Moving the Search is a Win

Sep 292009
 

Three weeks ago I took a leap of faith, and moved by search box from a location that would be perceived by most as the best place to have it. It was in the header on the right. Highly visible, on every page, and was very much in it’s own zone. Usability wise, it appeared to be a win. Apparently though, that was far from the truth.

Picking the Location

When the search box was in it’s old location it acted as a dedicated fail safe method for visitors to find my content. My main menu, running horizontal in the header, lead to the search box, so it appeared to be a logical placement. Can’t find what you are looking for using the menu? Try searching. Continue reading »

Technorati Button

Sep 232008
 

In the past I haven’t spent much time marketing BestWebImage.com, or working on its value. Lately though, I have had some more free time, and have started working/thinking of ways on how to do it. I’ve been considering adding a Technorati button to my site, but I just hate having all that kind of stuff on my site. Then I saw this site, Best Data Recovery Software, saw their authority rating, and decided I will be adding one very soon!

Because I have been considering the Technorati button for my own site I have been studying how other sites have been using the button on theirs, if they even did at all. Best Data Recovery Software, and data recovery in general has become a new interest to me, mostly because my hard drive has be making those scary noises you hear before its death. When I saw their Technorati button on the top left, I just had to check their rating, and then was thoroughly impressed.

Location of Button

bdr21The button is in a really great location for their site. It may have been just because I have been looking out for those buttons, but it was the first thing I saw on theirs. Now I just need to figure out where I am going to put mine. Best Web Image has the sad authority level of just 21. After I finish this post I will mark my calendar for a month from now, and will post the changes in my authority. Hopefully it will go up a few. Hint, Hint, Hint.

Find.org

On a side note, Best Data Recovery Software also wrote an article about Find.com, a new search engine. Great name for a search engine, now I just have to see how well it works.

Where to Put Your Navigation Menu

Feb 042008
 

The navigation menu can be a tricky thing, especially when you are trying to figure out the best spot for it. Take this site for example. It has two different locations, the top header navigation menu, and the one on the left. Is this a good idea, bad idea, or does it really matter?

Having an easy method to navigate a site is always important because it helps your visitor get results quicker. Studies have shown that the ideal spot is to have all of your menu items grouped together on the left, and have it consistently there throughout the site. If you have multiple menus, and want to separate them you should know how. The best method is to have the primary navigation as its own menu, and then begin to group the rest in a second menu. This way visitors will quickly understand where the primary content is, versus the secondary, or tertiary. Keep it simple, keep it consistent. This sites primary menu is in the top header followed with the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th items grouped on the left.

Picking the location is really up to you, but remember that most visitors to your site spend more time on other sites. What does that mean to you? They are used to navigation being set up a certain way, and it’s typically on the left.

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