This column will be a recurring feature of the IMA eNewsletter, isolating one lesson learned at IMA while working on projects for our clients. This month’s lesson: related links in a Web site.
 
Lesson #2:  Related Links in a Web site
Creating site navigation forces the user to think in linear fashion – sequentially through a topic or a department, for instance. Search mechanisms can be helpful in locating specific items, when you know what you’re looking for. But there is still a serendipitous manner in which many people browse – and which related links, properly implemented in a Web site, can support.
 


We first made extensive use of Related Links in The Juilliard School Web site. Because it was so large and complex, it was a challenge to create a logical, sequential organization that covered all aspects of available content. And because the user base was so diverse – from casual music lovers to prospective students to faculty and administration – it made sense to offer another “layer” of navigation – an editorial version, suggesting links to other pages of the site that visitors of one page might find useful.

Creating these links can be a challenge, particularly when the editorial role is shared across several departments. It requires a clear understanding of all “corners” of the organization to be able to suggest the most advantageous links. And if your Web site is a dynamic one, with content constantly being taken down, we recommend some automatic link checking to make sure you’re not supporting a rouge link somewhere.

But the user benefits greatly by the time invested – as does your organization, through the suggested cross-references that give increased breadth and credibility to your site.