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Creating a distinctive visual style and applying it rigorously is the best way to hold a series of related, or disjointed, web pages together.
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Like any corporate image or magazine house style, it creates its own identity - and boundaries. In navigation terms, you know when your are within it and when you have left it.
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Furthermore, it communicates a qualitative statement about the company or individuals responsible for it.
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What constitutes effective navigation?
Navigation should be clear and consistent. The key to effective navigation is good organization. Organize the site content into clear topic and sub-topic categories.
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The larger the site, the more difficult the task of developing the structure obviously becomes. For larger sites, consider making a flowchart/sitemap or storyboard.
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Primary topic categories and important links should be on every page, in the same location, and in the same sequence. In addition to links to primary topics and important information, whenever possible link to sub-topics within each topic category.
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Invariably, there is also important information which should be linked to on every page - for instance, contact information, an email address, or an order page -- information that should never be more than a click away.
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