Slides presented at Connected Local Government Live 2017 29 June in Better Connected session

1. betterconnected.socitm.net
@btrconnected
betterconnected.socitm.net
@btrconnected
betterconnected.socitm.net @btrconnected
Better connected reviewer
Helen Williams
Navigation, search and A-Z

2. betterconnected.socitm.net
@btrconnected
What makes good practice in navigation?
Speed!
Getting users to where they
want to go quickly
So websites should be
simple ...

3. betterconnected.socitm.net
@btrconnected
1. Speedy navigation -
remove the clutter
Navigation subject headings
plus links to sub-topics or tasks
More subject headings

4. betterconnected.socitm.net
@btrconnected

5. betterconnected.socitm.net
@btrconnected
Slow navigation - busy
home page

6. betterconnected.socitm.net
@btrconnected
Speedy navigation - logical headings

7. betterconnected.socitm.net
@btrconnected
Slow navigation - illogical headings

8. betterconnected.socitm.net
@btrconnected
Slow navigation
No service based
navigation menu
Only ‘Quick links’
and ‘Most
popular’

9. betterconnected.socitm.net
@btrconnected
Slow navigation
Service based
navigation at
bottom of page

10. betterconnected.socitm.net
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What makes a good landing page?
Landing page heading
Key tasks highlighted
Topic headings and
subheadings
Focus on aiding navigation

11. betterconnected.socitm.net
@btrconnected
Other navigation quibbles...
main navigation
hidden behind one
button
unnecessary ‘show
more services’

12. betterconnected.socitm.net
@btrconnected
Icons - help or hindrance?
Home? Council offices?
If small and unobtrusive icons provide some visual interest
breaking up the text and helping to introduce white space
At worst over-large icons dominate, distract and confuse
Some kind of certificate? eg. waste licence or
business certification?
Statistics or data?
Toilets?

13. betterconnected.socitm.net
@btrconnected
What makes a good search?
Does it find the right page - can it handle
phrases with verbs such as ‘find’?
Are the most useful results presented first?
Do the results give a clear indication of
what you will find when you click them?

14. betterconnected.socitm.net
@btrconnected
Does search find the right page?

15. betterconnected.socitm.net
@btrconnected
Does search find the right page?

16. betterconnected.socitm.net
@btrconnected
Does search find the right
page?

17. betterconnected.socitm.net
@btrconnected
Are the most
useful results
presented
first?
Not adverts
Not hefty PDFs
Prioritise landing
pages and key
content

18. betterconnected.socitm.net
@btrconnected
Are the most useful results presented first?
Useful devices to prioritise key
content:
Top search results
Predictive search
Task promotion
Weighting of landing
pages

19. betterconnected.socitm.net
@btrconnected
Do the results give a clear indication of what you will find
when you click them?
Titles and
descriptions must
make sense out of
context
If ‘meeting’ was
included the result
would be clearer

20. betterconnected.socitm.net
@btrconnected
What makes a good A-Z?
Balanced number of entries - too many
takes too long to scan
Clear common terms covering all key
services
One main entry for each service leading
to landing page, with synonyms
One or two top tasks for each service

21. betterconnected.socitm.net
@btrconnected
What makes a good A-Z?
‘C’
Council tax
Council tax payments
Council tax benefits
‘L’
Libraries
Libraries – renew book
Libraries – join a library
‘P’
Planning
Planning – view an application
Planning – comment on an
application
Main service area heading plus two top
tasks
Reduces number of links for key service
areas
Makes A-Z easier to maintain
Ensures more unusual items can still be
found
Alternatively show most popular terms first,
followed by alphabetical listing of all other
entries

22. betterconnected.socitm.net
@btrconnected
What makes a good A-Z?

23. betterconnected.socitm.net
@btrconnected
Tips for navigation, search, A-Z
Navigation - home page is site navigation
tool above all else
Search - weight results so landing pages or
key service pages appear high up
A-Z - feature key topics / landing pages,
not multiple similar entries

24. betterconnected.socitm.net
@btrconnected
betterconnected.socitm.net
@btrconnected
betterconnected.socitm.net @btrconnected
Better connected reviewer
Helen Williams
Thank you