Corus Group : Supplementing navigation
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A ubiquitous and workmanlike set of quick links for customers.
The Site
Corus Group, the Anglo-Dutch metals company recently bought by Tata Steel, provides a ubiquitous and simple set of quick links for customers.
Corus uses generally conventional navigation, with a top bar listing primary sections and a changing left-hand bar covering sub-sections. However, at the foot of every page on the corporate template is a substantial grey panel providing links to more than 40 areas of the site.
The list is the same on each page, but does not precisely match the overall navigation. There are detailed links to specific product areas, but fewer paths to corporate information – there is no link to the News & media home page, for example.
The Takeaway
Corus’ unusual approach is hardly elegant but is an effective way of providing quick links to valuable areas of the site. While many companies provide various ‘finder’ mechanisms, it is hard to beat a simple list that can be scanned quickly. The customer focus suggests that this is a major use for the site and, as Corus is absorbed into the Tata empire, it is likely to become an increasingly important one.
The incomplete links for corporate material are perhaps a compromise to keep the communications teams happy; it could make sense to drop them and reduce the size of the panel.
http://www.corusgroup.com/en/First published on 20 May, 2008