On 21 Nov 2005, at 3:14 AM, kvnmcwebn wrote:
My big concerns: how to make these jump menus standards and seo
friendly?
Simple answer: You can't.
Don't use this method as a navigation device:
1. Search engines don't submit forms, and they don't use javascript, so
this kind of navigation menu will never be SEO friendly.
2. This particular method is unfriendly - keyboard and screen reader
users won't get past the first item.
3. Jump menus prevent uses from developing a quick overview of what's
on your site by hiding the options... and that reduces your chances for
completing with the back button.
4. Drop downs have other usability problems, and Jeffrey Zeldman hates
them ;-)
Apart from that a jump menu is HTML which you can make standards
compliant.
I have a long list of values to make
into a navigation menu. I now think the only way will be to
use a jump menu.
Revisit your IA and see if you can introduce some additional levels of
navigation by grouping similar pages under a broad term.
If you really must use a drop down menu then check out brothercakes UDD:
http://www.brothercake.com/dropdown/
Further Reading:
Navigational pulldown menus in HTML
http://www.cs.tut.fi/~jkorpela/forms/navmenu.html
Drop-Down Menus: Use Sparingly
http://www.useit.com/alertbox/20001112.html
Architectural Digest vs. This Old House (A List Apart No. 184)
http://www.zeldman.com/daily/0604f.shtml#ala184
kind regards
Terrence Wood.
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