Navigation: Right, Left or Top?

I really tend to go with right handed out of habit. I do think overall left handed are more search engine friendly (assuming code flows with layout) but I guess I could go either way.
-dk

I would think that having the links first would be less search-engine friendly, since there is more stuff to slog through before getting to the content?

I prefer right, but rarely get to use it as clients still think that left is the *only* option.

haha...i tend to agree with your clients...left or top is better...like sliced bread

Oh, they don't think it's better, they think all users are stupid, so it's the only thing they can understand.

IMO, if someone is too stupid to figure out what "HOME" "SERVICES" "PRODUCTS" "CONTACT" means no matter if it is top, left or right, then they probably shouldn't even be using a computer. That would sorta be like someone saying, "look at that car" and the person looks up to the sky and says, "But I don't see anything"

The links on your browser are more confusing than a right side nav.

*lol* I know. I do have a couple of clients who have opted for top nav, which is refreshing. And they have subnav in the right.

Functional wise:

Right, am a righty so my hand is over there anyway. It's what my brain wants my hand to do.

I never could figure out the whole left nav thing. Maybe the first time ever it was used by a left handed designer and people then followed? (though I do use this myself per the whole user expectation thing)

Design wise:
I'm fond of the top nav bar.

'Course where I put it totally depends on the site, the content etc. etc. etc.

I put it wherever it fits with the design (clients go along with whatever I design!) and I have many sites all with the same topic/content/product that all do well in the search engines - some have top, some left and one right hand navigation.

I prefer the right hand side.

Quote: I never could figure out the whole left nav thing. Maybe the first time ever it was used by a left handed designer and people then followed? (though I do use this myself per the whole user expectation thing)

I am a left handed designer myself and I really prefer the right. Why? Because the navigation bar on the left is way too cliche and boring, give/design something that isn't used a lot and people will find that they like it

Same with the top as well it's not too common however, but it is more common than right hand navigation. If I were given a choice to choose where to put it I would go:

1, Right hand
2, Top (hand )
3, Left hand

As you can see, I like being different. Just like everyone else

I'm not awake enough to slog through the article but I like righthand navigation myself. It seems to me that from a usability perspective, its proximity to the scroll bar makes sense.

Unfortunately, like Suzanne, I've yet to find a client that'll let me do it -

"the site looks good but could you move the menu to the left where its *supposed* to be?"

I normally use a combination of left and top navigation depending on the structure of the site... although mainly i find that I just put links on the left out of habbit.

For those of you worried about putting the menu on the left and the search engines reading it before the content, theres a simple solution.

Use layers and css.

By ordering your layers in your code so the main content comes first, then using css to state that the content should be on the right and the menu on the left, the search engines will scan the code and read that before the menu even though it appears the other way round to the end user...

but, i'm sure you guys already knew that one...

I use top and bottom navigation on my site mostly, with a few links to sites i like on the left, i like the look of sites with the nav on the right though..

I say right or/and top

I usually end up with a combination of left and top, but I do thinkt hat right makes more sense in a lot of cases. If I ever get my personal site up it'll have right nav.

Right nav does make more sence, I have no idea why people like it on the left, any suggestions?