The left and right columns of websites serve as powerful tools to grab the users’ attention and guide the users to the different sections of the site. It is therefore very important to consider the following:
Cross-links
- Many users often have a short attention span when browsing a website and they usually skim headings and the first few sentences. To keep them as much occupied as possible, cross-links should be introduced across the left or right section of the page layout. These links could either be internal such as related sections / articles; or even be external such as links to the other government entities which are relevant to what they are reading.
Sub-navigation
- Placing the sub-navigation on the left column of the page has become a common standard on the web and should therefore be considered as the premiere alternative. This position allows full flexibility on the amount of links that can be placed in it and does not present any limitations on how many can fit.
Banners
As much as banners are an important source of marketing, they also prove to be the primary source of distraction for the users. It is therefore a
must:
- To place them non-intrusively on the page (on the bottom, or lower left or right of the page) and to keep them in the same position throughout, unless they are highlighting major internal information. In this case, their presence should be limited in time.
- To avoid motion, flickering and flashing as it, not only disturbs the users reading and interferes with the main content and message of the site, but also can be harmful for visually impaired users. If it cannot be avoided, the effect must turn itself off after a period of time, the convention being 3 loops.