HTML Navigation Links

[DebbySpicer]

Am a US based web designer... I would like to learn more about web design/graphic design Servies and anything related.... Here i am sharing with you, some of the web-related details.

I wrote an article some time back on the importance of a good navigation system for your Custom Web Design website and how one website I examined used only JavaScript-generated links to lead to other pages on the site. Since the search engines do not understand JavaScript, they were not able to find the other pages on the website.

While that article only mentioned JavaScript-created links, this problem also applies to websites that rely only on links embedded in Flash files. Google is said to understand such links, but until search engine robot technology improves so that all search engines can easily figure out the links embedded in Flash files or JavaScript code, any website totally reliant on such links is surely at a disadvantage compared to websites that use straightforward HTML links.

Again, this is not a call to throw out the baby with the bathwater. You do not have to ditch all JavaScript code or Flash files from your website. Instead, what you need is to provide a way for search engines (and visitors who do not have JavaScript-enabled or Flash players) to visit all the pages of your site. Put simple HTML links on your web page linking to the other pages in addition to your state-of-the-art gadgets.

You should also add a site map to your website and link to that site map from your main page. That way, search engines and human visitors who don't have JavaScript or Flash facilities can find their way around your site


If you are an expert in this web design fields... and like to share the work details, please get me back soon.... Thank You

[adrian]

Hi, thanks for your article. I am still in a progress of learning, but would also like to provide some suggestions.

For a better web design pattern, you first create you page content with simple, standard compliance html. This have to provide all the essential content for the search engines, and for the users with javascript/Flash disabled. After that, you can start building javascript/flash to manipulate the page, creating fancy effects, interactions.

Therefore regarding to your problem, it is really not a good habit to generate essential contents with Javscript/ajax or Flash. These are cool, but do not abuse them.

So when flash/js? For my suggestion, think of a pure "html/css way" first, then build js/ajax enhancement upon that. Lets say e.g. a eshop website: You want search engines and users to be able to browse through your product catalog, whatever they have js/flash or not. So, first pretend js doesn't exist yet, just create your product catalog/layout with pure html/css. After that, start building enhancement upon the raw content. e.g. click to zoom in photos, ajax trolley, fancy animations etc. This is where javascript/flash take place.

you may also have a look at an article of Progressive Enhancement: http://www.alistapart.com/articles/understandingprogressiveenhancement

Hope that helps,

Adrian