Make your navigation scheme transparent to your users. Users will not spend the time to learn a complicated scheme. Remember you have only one chance to make a good first impression. Be consistent in the placement and design of navigation elements. Users expect that navigation buttons and bars be displayed in the same place on every page.
Consistency builds the users' trust and enhances the quality of the experience.
Provide visual context Visual techniques like templates and style sheets, and items such as last updated or modified date stamps, provide important clues so users know where they are in the site. Do not violate expected browser behaviors that users have come to know and trust. For instance, if they expect the browser's back button to take them to the previous page, don't break this rule without a good reason. Provide clear visual messages and labels Interface design is about visual guidance. How navigation options are presented is closely tied to how usable they are.