If you want to keep users at your site then you have to create a clear-cut navigation scheme. Here are some tips:
To accommodate the non-linear nature of the web (or interactive) environment you have to provide the same consistent navigational access on every page of your site. When users find your site using a search engine (like Google), it's easy for them to land in an unanticipated area of a site. It's important to remember that you need to:
Make it easy for them to get to the entry page or to any page for that matter! The standard web navigation convention is that the logo (if there is one) is always a link back to the home page.
Identify which page they are on in the first place -- they may have no idea where they are in the site structure!! In larger sites, breadcrumb navigation can be very helpful! An example of breadcrumb navigation is shown below. Here's a link to the actual site: http://www.lightinthebox.com/c/cookware-1_14391Links to an external site.
Effective navigation encourages users to stay. Most users do not want to take the time to learn an unusual or innovative navigation scheme.
Effective Navigation Example: Here's an example of a clear, simple navigation scheme. (Sorry but the original site has now disappeared... this is from the Internet archive. You can close the header to see the navigation more clearly):
Ineffective Navigation Example: Here's an example of a confusing navigation design. I'm not sure what's a button and what's a graphic! What page am I on in this site? This is far from paradise!
Here are some sites that demonstrate various levels of navigation. For each of them ask yourself:
How easy is it to figure out where you are in the site?
Where can you go?
And how do you get to the home page again?
Try clicking around on the various types of links at the sites and see what you think. Is the navigation clear and obvious? Are the links consistent on each page? Are there too many different links? How many do you count on the home page alone?