As well as badly labelled links, another thing that gets my blood boiling is the poorly designed URL. (Sometimes called a URI). I think sometimes front end designers and techies forget that people actually use URLs. Any marketing person worth their while will tell you that the URL is a key part of their marketing strategies. URLs are printed on brochures, they are spoken about, printed on the side of buses and used as a kind of shorthand. This doesn't only apply to the top level of the site (eg usyd.edu.au) it also applies to subsets of a site. In fact, this is where it is most critical.
An example from the main University site:
In the old days the Faculty Handbooks used to be at a URL that was long and consisted of parts that seemed to have no relevance to the whole. The parts meant something to the people who looked after the website, but no one else. Now the Handbooks are located at http://www.usyd.edu.au/handbooks. Simple.
Another argument that often comes up is the before or after conundrum. Do you label a subset before the main domain or after it? I lean definitely towards the after version. Reasons?If someone gets the 'after' bit wrong they will at least make it to the main site and can find their way from there
Also, convention. Most 'big brand' sites use the after method. It has become accepted and has changed the way people think about URLs. The ABC is a good example. Their theory is ABC/subset of ABC. All the user has to remember is that convention. It has now become a way of thinking about all URLs that are subsets.
Another tip to keep in mind is to use directories rather than filenames for URLs that are going to highly publicised. Filenames require the user to remember the type of file and that pesky extension bit after the dot doesn't really mean much to most people. Hence, the Handbooks are at http://www.usyd.edu.au/handbooks and not http://www.usyd.edu.au/handbooks.shtml
If you want more advice about constructing your URLs read Drew McLennan's thoughts on the matter.
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