Whether you’re creating your website from scratch, undergoing a redesign or thinking about small updates you can make to your site navigation, there’s much to think about.
Once you get people to land on your website through search engine optimization or other methods, the next step is to get them to stay on your site and perform whatever action is required – such as completing a sale. Website navigation design plays a big role in this.
Getting the customer to act on your website means you have to make it easy for them to perform the necessary steps to complete the transaction. This begins with the navigation of the website. It should be clear what links go to what pages, and what shoppers will find once they go to a certain page.
This may seem simple, but it’s actually easy to confuse your potential customers when it comes to your site navigation. Here are 5 things you can do to make getting around your website a bit easier:
Make your main navigation bar easy to find. The six or seven main categories on your site should appear either at the top the Web page or on the left sidebar. These are the two areas of your site that are the most visible and should contain your main categories. Subcategories should appear below the corresponding main category, preferably in the form of a drop-down menu.
Keep titles short, descriptive and simple. Tell Web users exactly what they’re getting by using clear and concise titles – there should never be any surprises! Instead of “Resources” say “News Links” or instead of “Products” say “Shoes.” Use as few words as possible to accurately describe what users will find when they click on the link.
Be consistent. Navigational links should be consistent throughout every page on your site. They should be in the same location with the same font, style and title.
Make it clear where the user is at all times. If the user is in a series of subsections, make it clear not only where they are, but also where they came from. For example, the navigation may show Shoes > Sneakers > Nike through a series of now open drop-down menus. This way, if the user changes their mind and wants to go up or down a level, then can do so (without having to start at the beginning!)
Less is more. Some websites try to make their navigation and their overall website design strategy intricate or otherwise flashy. While site aesthetics do play an important role in creating an online corporate image, it’s best to keep things simple. Focus on keeping your navigation clean and avoid using Flash at all costs (the search engines can’t see it!). And try to keep the number of clicks needed to complete a transaction to a minimum.
