Analyse the navigational effectiveness of the site:
(a) Examine the site’s communication hierarchy – do the page and site gradients of
complexity facilitate or impede with navigation?
Is the 3-click rule adhered to or violated most of the time?
(b) The layout of various key elements – do they facilitate or impede with navigation?
(c) Are the navigation bars and menus intuitive? Is the search engine useful?

The site has the correct vertical gradient of site complexity.

On the front page itself, the banner of ST701 and CATS, along with the slogan are displayed prominently. The links for Jobs, Cars, Properties, Shops, (lists of ads) are also displayed a few times above the search box,and at the left(descriptive text) and right(graphics) of the page.

However I do not agree with placing the ST701 TV advertisment above the fold as they are not really relevant to the user looking for a particular item. Also above the fold are the Jobs and Cars sections which impels users to scroll down to look at the other sections. The Just Ask? portion is also above the fold and is useful for people unsure of what they are looking for exactly or people that want to give advice to newbies.

Most of the graphics are also placed above the fold which attracts the user. Below the fold are mostly a continuation of the ads sections and also links to the st701 blog, and a recent publicity event Colleen exposed! which are both not as important.

Most of the links are plain HTML links which reduce loading time, improves readability and maximised functionality(as they are due to change anytime) are placed on the front page, with the most recent ads displayed for higher relevancy (Eg. displaying an old ad that has already expired would be redundant and instead waste the time of the user).

If the desired job/property/shop is not displayed on the first page, the user can either search the site using the "ST701 Snappy Search" on the top right hand corner of the page. This search enables the user to search in a specific category, eg. if one is looking for a Nissan car, he can select the category 'Car' and avoid hits from Nissan brand Commercial vehicles such as vans.

Also, apart from the ads which are a major portion of the site, other important sections of st701 are also easily available. The most commercially viable are displayed at the top bar below the banner - Home, Just Ask(forums), Advertise with Us (the main source of income), About Us (information for would-be advertisers and users alike), and Contact Us which is most important for any queries one may have.

At the bottom bar of the page, many of these links are displayed again. There are also standard ones such as Terms and Conditions, Privacy Policy which are tyically found on commercial websites.

These are the Hybrid Navigation Systems, standard format of most websites (which means users are more likely to be familiar with the link displays and hence navigate around the site more easily)

The above methods would enable many users to reach their goal in only 1 click most of the time.

If the user would like to browse, he can click on the section of interest, for example Property. On the next page he can see various links to the newest ads posted and also find out the recent transacted prices for HDB and Condo. If the user is only interested in a certain type of property, eg. Landed, he can then click on Find Property and then Landed on the left side of the screen(this menu is always on the left side throughout the site for the other sections Cars, etc.). If the user is looking to sell or rent out his property, he can click on Sell or Rent Property to post an ad. Guides and Articles will take the user to where he can learn more about Property and laws and regulations regarding property.

Up to this point it is possible for the user to find the desired within 3 clicks. However, as the ads are displayed in pages,instead of in one long page containing all ads which is unpresentable and also consists of a much too long loading time, for the user to browse through the pages to find what he wants would take more than 3 clicks but I believe that at this point the 3-click rule is invalid as the user has already found the location where he can browse freely for his goal.


(d) Is the content presented in such a way that it conforms with the three principles of
effective web pages?

Three Principles of Effective Web Pages:

1. Provide clear structure

Essential information is displayed on the main page and interested users can delve deeper in to find out more. As most of the links to the main sections on the page are clearly displayed on the main page, users have an easier time navigating the site.

2.Be concise
3. Be objective instead of persuasive
As this is an ad site, most of the ads have restricted word limits and this helps to keep things concise and also objective which leads to greater ease in finding the specific item/property/shop which the user wants. Links are displayed in short strings of text instead of buried in paragraphs for higher navigability.

Is there effective use of micro-content?
Yes, section titles are usually bolded and colored and have a larger font size. Linked text are descriptive and explanatory eg. Experience online retail shopping like never before. Users who click on "online retail shopping" will get a listing of online shops.

ALT tags are all of 'Click to enlarge' which, although useful, do not describe the image.
Navigation bar links are displayed in menus across the site in a consistent manner; at the top and bottom of the page and at the left of the page within sections.


2. Is there navigational consistency across the site?
Yes, as mentioned in the above answers, the link menus are found at the at the top and bottom of the page and at the left of the page within sections. The search box is also always found at the top right of the page.

There is also a consistent grid format followed within the item description: