Websites have become an important part of every business. Indeed, websites allow customers to connect with businesses with just a click of a button. Considering this, you’ll want to do everything you can to improve your business’ website. And while there are a number of ways to optimize websites, one of the best ways is by focusing on website navigation. If you want to learn more about why this is, then we’ve got just the thing for you. Here is a brief breakdown of why website navigation is so important to your website.
Why Is Website Navigation Important?
It’s critical to have clear navigation on your website in order to direct people to the right content. Unorganized or convoluted navigation leads to a poor user experience, which means that visitors will have a bad impression of your business, and may not return.
What Should Be Included In Website Navigation?
With so many web pages, it can be difficult to decide where items should appear and to know how they are ranked in terms of importance. It is better to have seven navigation items because this maximizes SEO and usability. With that being said, it’s important to understand that there is no one-size-fits-all solution to website navigation. When it comes down to the navigation bar, there will be many possible solutions to consider. However, you should let your website visitors decide which navigation solution is best for them.
How Do You Improve Website Navigation?
While there are a number of ways to approach website navigation, there are common strategies to improve the way your customers interact with your website. Here’s a brief rundown of some of the things you can try:
- Users of your website are impatient and intolerant of difficulties when they try to find information. Visitors to your site are usually looking for a specific product or service or to read your content and case studies. Keep the navigation bar where it is easy for users to find, either horizontally along the top, or vertically on the left or right side of the homepage.
- Make sure navigation is in the same place and supports your site's goals. Consistent use of colors and design will help visitors become familiar and feel at ease when browsing. If the navigation was to change in style, placement, or appearance on each page, users would be left confused and be more likely to leave the site altogether.
- Use more specific words for your navigation labels. For example, “Tools” and “Resources” tend not to be very clear for users. Use more precise names such as “Blogs”, “News” or “Case Studies.” This will help users understand what each section contains without having to click through.
Conclusion
We hope this article proves to be useful when it comes to helping you understand why website navigation is so important. As you can see, website navigation can make or break your site. This is why you’ll want to do all you can in order to get website navigation right. While this may seem tricky, the information that we’ve laid out here should make things infinitely easier for you and your business.
Need assistance with web design in Indiana? Contact Distinct today! We’re a local web design company that serves small businesses in Indiana through building high-quality, affordable websites with unlimited support.