Website Menu's top or side

[oggyswain]

Does anyone know if there is a better way of structuring your website menu, top of the site or left side of site.

 

I have a client that says she was at a seminar a few years back and that they said websites should have the menu's on the left hand site of the page not at the top.

 

I personally do not like left site menus , they take up a lot of space.

 

Anyone have any psychological data or any info on studies done.

 

Thanks

 

PS Love the new site format.

[daddyalfie]

Pretty much six of one - half a dozen of the other! The choice should be one of aesthetics to my mind. I.e. what looks best to you as a designer.

 

Someone else might have a more concrete response.

 

PS I like the new look too!

[Wickham]

Left menus in a sidebar are the traditional position. A menu there can be edited fairly easily to add more links - you just extend further down. The menu on the left is always visible when someone reduces the window width.

 

A top menu, if it's a drop down menu, takes up only one line so it's neat and tidy, but has the disadvantages that you cannot easily add another button if it's already using up the page or screen width and part of it may be unseen (you have to scroll) when the window is reduced in width.

 

People complain that a left sidebar uses up too much valuable screen "real estate" which could be put to better use, because when someone has reached the page they want, they don't want the menu on the left any more.

[oggyswain]

Thanks I will use some of your post in my response.