Going back and forward on the Internet is quite different from going back and forward in print materials.  Following links on a web page can take the user to the next page in a sequence on the site, to another location on the site, or to an external web site.  Clicking on the Back and Forward buttons on a web browser merely takes the user through the history of pages the user has viewed, which are not necessarily logically sequenced.

The designer of a web site can assist visitors to their site in navigating sequential material by using a navigation bar that includes Previous and Next buttons.  Notice that the words Previous and Next are used so as not to confuse less experienced users with the Back and Forward found on their toolbar.  The Yale Style Manual offers two other reasons for offering this option on your pages:

• the user then has interface tools to navigate through the information in your site in the sequence you intended.

• Button bars can also display location information, much the way running chapter headers do in printed books

Herman Drost from iSiteBuild.com also suggests using guided navigation.  "This is a popular technique, in which you guide the visitor through your site. Links are provided for the next step and establishing links that keep the users on track continues the process. These links should supply the necessary information, as well as an alternate course clearly marked to allow the visitor to exit (Drost, n.d.)."

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Questions? Comments?  Do I practice what I preach? Contact me at afensie@attbi.com.
Organizing Your Web: A Guide to Creating Intuitive Navigation Structure was created by Anne Fensie for IT522 at Bridgewater State College.
Copyright 2002
Last updated October 03, 2006