There are many aspects of web development that play a crucial role in defining the user's experience. From the website's visuals to its text and functions, all things must have balance in a good website. Website navigation is one of those facets that can make or break your website's design and hampers the users' experience.
If your website is easily navigable, your site visitors will find things easily, and often visit your website. For example, visitors looking for contact information and unable to find it will exit your website within seconds. A seamless website navigation is crucial to provide a perfect user experience.
If you feel confused, "what is website navigation?" and "how to improve your website navigation?," here is a complete guide to website navigation tips.
What is Website Navigation?
In technical terminology, website navigation is the process of users surfing the internet among different information resources. These information resources can be different sections of single web page or separate web pages.
If the structure of your website facilitates easier browsing, it has good navigation. It depends on the architecture of your site and is only possible if you have crystal-clear navigation options on your website. On the other hand, if your website visitors find themselves in the middle of a maze without any sense of direction, you need to improve your website navigation.
Ideal Strategies to Improve Website Navigation
If you are building your website from scratch or want to improve the older one, remember that improving website navigation is not a walk in the park. Here are some website navigation tips to help you out:
1. Make Hypertext Easy to Find and accessible.
Hypertext refers to the outbound links added in your text to direct visitors to other web pages. If the hypertext is indistinguishable from the body text, the users will not find it. The best practice is to make it bold and underlined to make it prominent. It would be best to change the color of the hypertext to make it stand out from the remaining text. Another option is to use buttons for your hyperlinks to facilitate the users in navigation.
Sometimes it happens that users waste a lot of time finding the links and when the page opens, it shows "page not found." It leaves a negative impression on your visitors and they may leave your website instantly. Make sure that all the hyperlinks are also accessible. If you have removed a particular page from your website, delete the hypertext to prevent visitors from misredirections. .
2. Add the Shopping Cart Button
If you are the owner of an eCommerce store, to improve your website navigation, you must add a shopping cart button on your website. It will facilitate your users to open the cart menu and add products quickly. This way, you not only enhance the website navigation but also improve the chances of your conversion rates. Strikingly has also got you covered with this. You can go to the site settings and check the box for the shopping cart button. It will start displaying in the top-right corner of a web page.
Image taken from Strikingly
3. Make a User-Friendly Navigation Bar.
While designing a navigation bar, consider the users' requirements also. Don't focus only on what you want your users to do. For example, you want to convert your visitors into buyers, so you add CTA buttons to your navigation bar. Some visitors may want to hear about your mission, goals, and personal statements. It would be best if you also added the option "About Us" in the navigation bar to answer all types of users' questions.
If you have already created a navigation bar, put some effort into reorganizing it. Make sure that it does not contain any clutter. Keep the number of items in the menu minimum. You can make the main heading and add a drop-down menu to add the subheadings. The necessary links can further follow subheadings. This way, the users will easily hover from one section to another.
4. Separate the Sidebars
To improve your website navigation, change the color of the sidebar from the rest of the page. The best practice is to use a vivid color for your sidebar. It will look prominent against a white background. Also, separate your other elements from the side navigation bar to enhance your website navigation.
5. Use Accurate Navigation Links
Correct information in your navigation links improves the user's confidence and adds value to your website navigation. This strategy also works for the in-text links, so avoid adding inaccurate links in your hypertext and navigation links.
6. Adding a Search Bar
Another website navigation practice is adding the "site search" button if you have a heavy-content website. It will make the user's experience faster and more seamless. Adding the search bar option will help new users easily navigate your website. Regarding the placement of the search bar, it will look best at the header because it will capture the direct attention of visitors.
If you are creating your website with free web developers like Strikingly, adding a site search option is not a hard nut to crack. You can activate this option in your site settings in the pro plan. The best thing is that the search system of Strikingly indexes all the blog posts, stores, products, and web pages and adds more value to the website navigation.
Image taken from Strikingly
7. Choose a Standard Location for Navigation Bar
Although creativity and innovations are admirable, sometimes we must follow conventions. Place the navigation bar on your website where it is easily accessible. The standard position is the web page's top or left side. You may be tempted to put it elsewhere, but we should not be creative at the cost of users' facilities.
For multiple categories, you can use different positions like header bar, sidebar, footer, etc. For example, placing the social media handles links at the footer would be best. However, categories like pricing, store, community, blog, the home page, etc., might look good at both the header and sidebar. You can choose any of the positions and consider your website's layout.
8. Save the buttons for Call-to-Action.
Website navigation trends have been changing continuously. A few years back, web developers used the buttons for the header navigation options. But it makes the header look a bit clumsy. Moreover, a specific link also needs more attention, so it is best to use buttons for call-to-actions only. For example, you can use CTA buttons to subscribe, book now, schedule a meeting, get a membership, get an e-book, etc. Remember to make the CTA buttons brighter and more prominent than others.
Image taken from Strikingly user's website
How to Improve the Website Navigation on Strikingly?
You have got through practical website navigation tips. Now, if you want to improve the website navigation on Strikingly, here is a cheat sheet.
Strikingly is a user-friendly website builder with easy-to-use options so a layperson can create its website easily. Multiple ready-made templates are available on the website that you can customize easily to design your website. However, to reap the benefits of all the features and provide a user-friendly experience, go through these website navigation tips for Strikingly:
1. Add a drop-down menu. Click on "Home," then "Manage Pages." Add a drop-down menu from here. In this way, you can facilitate your users in finding multiple things.
Image taken from Strikingly
2. Add all essential elements in your header. For example, you must add your company logo, menu, search site, and cart option. You can also add an account creation option in the header if the visitors can create an account on your site.
3. Add a footer in your site containing the social media links, contact information, terms and conditions, copyright information, and site map.
4. You can also add navigation buttons to your site for the ease of users. Go to "settings" and click on "Header and Footer." You can manage all the items you want to display in your header and footer. Tick the "Display Navigation Buttons" box to add to your site. This way, your website navigation will improve and ensure a smoother user navigation experience.
5. With Strikingly, you can also make the mobile website navigation experience better. Strikingly enables you to add custom buttons on the mobile website, also. You can add as many controls as possible, like home, map, email, call, and other links. It will help mobile users to navigate your website easily.
Concluding Remarks
Different companies follow different website navigation strategies. Instead of blindly following other companies, it is best to analyze your goals and your target audience and arrange your navigation header accordingly. You can hook your audience and make them stay on your website by adding eye-catching navigation buttons.
Another thing to ponder is that your website navigation must look seamless on mobile versions. It is because most people browse websites on their phones. To make the website responsive and easily navigable for phones, you can take the help of Strikingly. Strikingly also enables you to preview the controls on the mobile version. Let's get started with Strikingly to enhance your website navigation and improve user experience.
