Using structural cues to guide readers on the internet

Abstract

This paper reviews three studies that examined how users performance is affected by the (1) explicitness of local navigational links, (2) intriguing and informative phrasing of hyperlinks, and (3) text previews and navigational menus. The results reveal that sites with highly explicit navigational links increase site exploration as well as site perceptions; a mismatch between navigation and embedded link labels increases comprehension and site exploration; and previews with embedded links increase inferential comprehension, though they are disliked. We suggest a combined approach to structural cueing and emphasize that good design is context specific – designs that support comprehension do not necessarily receive high marks for usability.