Usability and consistency

There is little doubt that consistency is important for users. Consistency makes sites easier to use, because visitors don’t have to learn new tricks as they move around.

Internally Consistent

Sites should be internally consistent: standards and conventions should be established and applied throughout all the content. For example, a user who encounters the "Search" at the top right on one page will have problems if it’s arbitrarily moved to different locations on other pages of the site.

People have a strong memory for location, and your designs can leverage this characteristic by reserving particular locations for screen elements (navigation, search, login, content) and applying them consistently.

• Keep the logo, navigation elements, headings and common textual elements in the same position on all pages
• Keep font styles the same across the site Maintain this by using a style sheet
• If you use color as a visual clue to navigation, keep the colors consistent

Externally Consistent

Sites also need to be externally consistent, that is, consistent with general practice. Users will tend to apply rules they’ve learned elsewhere, even if those rules don’t actually apply to the current site. They bring to your site their own experience and expectations. If you ignore that, you risk causing confusion and alienation.

• Many sites place their logo in the top left corner
• Another common "web standard" is to keep unvisited links blue and visited links red/purple
• Navigation on the top or left (or both)
• Breadcrumbs (if used) below the primary navigation
• Content in the centre of the page
• Related material and promotions on the right
• Search on the top right (although there are many exceptions to this)