Ease of Use Design: Web site navigation is best on the left

(Picture: http://www.aliyun.com/zixun/aggregation/2467.html ">amazon Web site navigation listed on the left side)

We use the Web site's content and services by guiding the system. Do you know where the first navigation will affect the user's efficiency? is the first navigation better than the top, left, or right side of the Web?

According to "Three-click-rule", if the user presses three times on the mouse button, continues to select three different layers of the navigation hyperlink, but still can not find the information needed, he/she usually lose patience to walk away. Therefore, the navigation system is better than three layers. But should these three tiers be together on the top, left, right, or in different places on the web?

Researchers from the United States invited 16 participants to the Electronic Business website to investigate the three-tier navigation systems of 8 different structures, and how to influence the user's work schedules and preferences.

One, the results of usability tests found that the three navigation structures that allow users to quickly find the information they need are:
1, starting with the left side of the navigation list
2, secondary navigation is also on the left side
3, regardless of the first navigation on the top or left side of the web, you want to separate the navigation options for the second and third layers

Second, the three situations of user preferences are as follows:
1, starting with the left side of the navigation list
2, both the first and second navigation options are on the left or top of the Web page.
3, the second and the third are all at the same, or three layers together.

Thirdly, most web users prefer the following two kinds of structures:
1, upper-left-left (TLL): first-level navigation over the web, secondary navigation and the third layer on the left side
2, left-left-left (LLL): The first navigation, secondary navigation, and third navigation are connected from the left side.

Four, the structure listed on the right side of the Web is also included in the study. Comparing the user's table and preferences, the results show:
1, navigation on the top, right side comparison, the first navigation on the left side of the Web site users the best table, the shortest time for navigation
2, users also prefer the three-tier option that appears in the same navigation area

Five, to navigate on the left side, the user's table is better than on the right side; The researchers ' theory is related to the user's habit of reading from left to right. But regardless of whether the navigation is left or right, the user's table and acceptance are correct, so the navigation column is available on the right side of the web.

The researchers also found that the following three kinds of navigation structures make users less than they want and have a bad sense of use:
1, up-up-left (TTL): First, second-level navigation above the Web, third on the left
2, upper-left-Upper (TLT): first-level navigation over the Web, the second layer on the left side, and the third on top of the Web
3, right-up-right (RTR): The first navigation is on the right side of the web, the second layer is above, and the third layer jumps to the right side of the web.

Reference data:
Usability.gov: An American government website that provides a lot of usability, user centric design (user-centered, UCD) information.

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