How to choose the best navigation for your website?

Posted by Shawn Eric on September 13th, 2019

Website owners always wish that their users spend some quality time on their website & stick around quite long enough to convert into permanent customers. For this to happen, it is essential that the website’s content makes it easy for users to navigate.

If finding information becomes difficult for the user, then users will not only be disappointed but also leave. They then look for a website that will provide them with even better user experience.

It is hard to deny that user experience on a website is the top priority. A lot of users leave websites when they find their navigation options difficult to navigate through. The website’s design and template also count but not as much as the navigation. 

Regardless of how pleasant the plugins and design were, the navigation is the main focal point of a website’s success. If the navigation of the website is designed poorly, just to fit in the design; then users will never stay on that site. This will lead to a sharp drop in website traffic.

An easy to navigate website leads to longer visits & increased conversions. Given that the website’s ultimate goal is to generate sales & leads for the business, such is quite essential.

There are different ways to set up a website’s navigation. Among them are two popular options namely the top and sidebar navigation. Which one is best suited to a particular website, depends on the website’s content.

Let’s have a look at some navigation options recommended by developers from a specialist web design company in Dubai, and whether they work for the website or not.

Website navigation setup options

Top Navigation Setup

Top navigation works best if the website does not have a lot of menu options to choose from. Most users are inclined to read left to right, and from top to bottom. 

In this setup, developers need to place the navigations labels in a horizontal line at the top of the page to create familiar & natural spaces which can catch the attention of users’ sights.

Website owners will desire top-level pages, which are most important to the website in this form of the navigation bar.

Side Navigation Setup

Vertical menus aren’t often the best option if website owners are considering a simple menu design. Loads of content can visually crowd vertical menus.

Mega Navigation Setup

A mega navigation setup is one of the best ways to make everything accessible to a website’s visitors. It is quite visually appealing & aesthetically pleasant. It also induces users with an array of organized options. 

If website owners offer their users & visitors multiple products in an array of categories, then the mega navigation setup is likely to be the most suitable option for them.

A drop-down menu in the mega navigation setup will help add a lot of links to the website. Such will also help with SEO consequently.

Which navigation setup would work best for you?

Whether website owners choose the top, side or a mega navigation setup option, they will want to ensure that the style is consistent on all web pages. They will also want it to be familiar in visual terms and be concise. 

Website owners need to be descriptive & specific in their respective navigation labels. To understand this on a deeper perspective, they need to put themselves in their user’s shoes. 

They should ask themselves what experience they prefer when they are browsing an online store for products or services. What experience would they prefer when they are reading an online news site. What did they find unpleasant when they were navigating the page? What changes need to be made? And vice versa.

With what goal should a navigation setup be designed?

A navigation setup should be designed with the goal of getting users where they need to be and where they want to be in the shortest possible time. Making the user experience a top priority will help website owners make their sites successful in keeping users for longer time periods & converting them into customers.

Should you consult a web design agency in this regard?

It all depends on what the website has to offer and what needs the website is fulfilling. A minimal product line or a small-time news magazine website can use top navigation setup. The side navigation setup works best for site owners serving minimal options.

Large setups can go with mega navigation setups. However, they should check each type thoroughly and test it before launching it live.