Home Page Link
Classification:
[x] Standard
Categories:
[x] Home page
[x] Links
[x] Management
[x] Navigation
[x] Required Pages & Elements
Standard:
HHS must use a home page link in text format on every page associated with a particular Web site.
Rationale:
A home page is considered to be the top-level entry page of an office, division, agency, institute, initiative, or project within HHS. From the home page, users will navigate to many different areas of a site. Since the home page is the universally understood starting point of any Web site, it is important to help guide visitors back using “home,” especially when they may have arrived at the site many levels below the home page.
Some people do not arrive directly to a home page. Instead, they arrive by using links from search engines or other sites. There needs to be an obvious link to the home page in order for the user to be able to access other features of your Web site.
Sources:
Bailey, 2000b; Detweiler and Omanson, 1996; IBM, 1999; Levine, 1996; Lynch and Horton, 2002; Nielsen and Tahir, 2002; Spool, et al., 1997; Tullis, 2001.
Exemptions:
N/A
Requirements (content & style):
The home page link must be placed at the top of the main (left) navigation panel. All subpages must contain a link to the home page. The use of “home” or “[Site] Home” as primary text is the standard.
If graphics are used as a link to the home page, an accompanying text link must be present on the page.
If the site has a unique logo or header, those elements should be linked to the homepage as a supplement to the text link
Related Standards:
N/A
Related Guidelines:
Enable access to the Homepage. (V2, 5:1, p. 35)
Checklist:
Link to the homepage from every other page on the Web site.