Like in real life, knowing how to find your way is a vital part of any website, and good web design always emphasises the importance of competent website navigation. After all, knowing where you’re going and where you want to go ensures a positive user experience, leading to greater conversions and higher search rankings.
This article will explain the essentials of website navigation and how they create a clear pathway to brand consistency.
What is Navigation on a Website?
Website navigation is, simply put, the means and methods used to click and look through content and features on an online site, such as the various pages that make up a website.
What Makes a Site Hard to Navigate?
Here are some common mistakes that make your website harder to navigate:
- Unclear navigation interface: If your navigation menu is not readily visible, visitors will likely not use it. A lack of clear menu options will also leave them confused and frustrated.
- Cluttered layout: Overcrowding a page with text, graphics, and media will make it harder for visitors to find the links they need to click.
- Slow loading times: Slow page load times will cause visitors to lose interest or patience, making them leave the site rather than continue to click through it.
- Non-responsive design: If your website is not optimised for mobile devices, mobile users will have to go through extra steps, such as zooming in and out or horizontal scrolling, to find what they are looking for.
- Too much text or jargon: Pages bloated with needless, jargon-filled texts may disorient visitors, making it difficult for them to find any important information or links.
Read more on 10 Common Web Design Mistakes That Weaken Your Brand Story
What Are the Three Main Types of Website Navigation?
Here are the three main types of website navigation:
- Main navigation: Main navigation is used to divide the website content into a small number of menu options. These menu options represent a ‘section’ of the website, letting users know where exactly they should start looking.
- Local navigation: Local represents the sub-sets and groups within the primary section of your website, categorising content within its respective section. For example, skirts, dresses, and tops may be classified under “Women’s wear.”.
- Faster loading speed: Responsive web design boosts the page’s loading speed, improving the user experience and boosting search rankings.
- Contextual navigation: Contextual navigation directs visitors to different sections of your website. It is generally found in the main body of the text and provides links to relevant content that is not housed within the section of the website that the user is currently viewing. Some examples of contextual navigation include a Back, Next or Previous link on a page and an anchor text converted into an internal link.
What is the Navigation Menu on a Website?
The navigation menu or bar is a vertical or horizontal bar that can be found on every one of your website’s landing pages. This makes it easier for visitors to find their way around your website and get to where they want to go, whether it's the checkout page or the “About Us” section. Having a visible, easily accessible navigation menu is a critical element of the online user experience, as visitors will use a navigation bar or menu to orient themselves.
How to Make Your Website Easy to Navigate?
Here are some simple yet effective methods to make your website easier to navigate:
- Put your navigation menu where visitors expect it: Most visitors expect to find a navigation menu or bar at the top or towards the right side of the page. For drop-down menus, the button should be placed at the top right corner of the web page.
- Tailor the navigation to your audience and business: Consider what your audience is looking for when they visit your website. Are they looking for more information on your product or service? Or are they looking for your project portfolio and testimonials from previous clients?
- Make the navigation bar stand out from the rest of the site: Make sure your navigation bar doesn’t blend in with the rest of your site. Some basic ways of doing so include making it a different colour from the background or using white space strategically to make it stand out from the other elements.
- Make your navigation text legible and readable: Ensure that your navigation text can be easily read on any screen size and resolution. Some legibility best practices include using a font that's at least 12 pixels and avoiding narrow scripts and fonts.
- Use straightforward navigation titles: The best navigation titles are simple, concise, and easily recognisable. Instead of being creative, stick to what already works, like "About Us" or "Contact Us."
- Make hyperlinks stand out from the rest of the text: If you include hyperlinks in a text, it will be good to make them easily noticeable. Simple techniques like bolding hyperlink texts, using another colour or underlining them are extremely effective in this regard.
- Emphasise responsive design: With most people today using their mobile devices to search for information, prioritising responsive design is essential for your brand. Ensure that your hyperlinks and navigation menu can adjust to varying screen sizes and resolutions.
- Mind the footer: Footer navigation has a bigger impact on the user experience than most web designers realise. Including mirror links from the header navigation menu will add greater convenience to your site visitors.
- Include an internal search function: An effective on-site search engine will greatly improve your website’s navigation. This is especially useful for e-commerce sites as customers will be searching for specific products. Once you include it, make it stand out by:
- Using an icon of a magnifying glass
- Inserting a "Search Here" text inside the search box
- Using a different colour to make it pop out
- Use text links for your call to action (CTA): CTAs work best as hyperlinks as they will rank higher in SEO rankings, make your navigation less clunky, improve page loading speed and make anchor texts/keywords stand out against the rest of the text.
The Best Website Navigation Examples from BikeBear:
ATE
To reflect A.T.E.’s young-spirited nature, we incorporated many vibrant animations and elements that double as navigation elements. When users hover at any button, they can find little fun surprises that encourage them to learn more about the innovative brand.
VIP Pass
We designed the website with clear, interactive elements and vibrant colours to give audiences smooth navigation and full clarity about The VIP Pass. As audiences scroll, they are greeted with a seamless narrative flow showcasing what purchasing the pass means, how they should go about purchasing it, and a list of recognised hotel partners for credibility and transparency.
Doubble
Doubble’s website was designed with aesthetics and simplicity in mind. It is beautiful and visually stunning but also simple and intuitive enough to be perfectly user-friendly and easy to navigate.
How a Web Design Service Agency Can Help Improve Your Website’s Navigation
If you need help optimising your website’s navigation, consider hiring a web design company. These professional web designers have the skills and experience to improve your website’s navigation, making it more intuitive and functional for your visitors.
Conclusion
Effective navigation is a hallmark of convenient, user-friendly web design, and prioritising it is key to building an effective brand site that attracts visitors and converts them into customers. More than just making it easier to explore, it is also crucial for creating a positive user experience that drives traffic to your site and boosts its SEO rankings.
Website Navigation Design Made Easy With BikeBear
BikeBear is easily the best web design company in Malaysia for your needs. Our professional website designers can help you create a more effective website navigation design for your brand. They will ensure that your site is easy to explore with readily available information, providing a positive user experience that boosts your conversions and SEO rankings.
