The navbar is an essential part of every website. It’s so obvious and simple, yet it has the power to make or break your site. You’d be surprised at how much thought can go into designing one. In this article, I’ll share a few tips and tricks to help you get the most out of your website’s navigation.
Why even bother?
It’s tempting to throw together a generic navbar and call it a day. But don’t. Think for a second: about 95% of website visitors immediately look for the navbar. If it’s important to them, it should be important to you too.
Visitors don’t browse websites for fun, they’re looking for something. That’s where the navbar shines. It’s the simplest and most direct form of navigation. If your website were a seaport, the navbar would be its lighthouse. And just like a malfunctioning lighthouse causes shipwrecks, a poorly designed navbar can ruin the user experience.
Of course, navigation isn’t the only function of a navbar. It’s also used to:
- Change the website’s language
- Place call-to-action (CTA) buttons
- Search for articles
- Sign in or sign up
- Feature products
- And much more
Clearly, navbars deserve your attention. So, how can you make them better? Here are six simple tips and tricks. Enjoy!
1. Simplicity is the key
Simplicity is effective. The primary purpose of a navbar is to help users navigate. Overcomplicating it defeats that purpose. Limit the number of links and remove unnecessary clutter.
Not every page or feature needs to be listed in the navbar. Think like your visitors, what are they likely looking for? Focus on including only the most relevant links.
2. Make it Visible
If users can’t see the navbar, it might as well not exist. As mentioned earlier, nearly every website visitor looks for a navbar. If it’s hard to find, they’ll get frustrated and might even leave your site.
Avoid trying to “reinvent the wheel.” It’s great to innovate, but remember: you’re designing for visitors, not for design’s sake. Ensure your navbar is easy to spot, and use contrast to make it stand out. Contrast is your best friend.
3. Use Proper Spacing
A cramped navbar is a bad navbar. Spacing is critical, both within the navbar and in relation to the rest of the page. Think of it this way: just as people dislike being stuck in a tight space, your navbar needs breathing room too. Give it some space to breath.
4. A Single Button, or None
I’m not a big fan of putting buttons in navbars, but they can be useful in some cases. If you decide to use one, stick to just one and make it the most important one.
A cluttered navbar with two buttons, a company logo, six links, and a few random icons is a usability nightmare. Keep it clean and focused.
5. Link Order and SEO
The order of your links matters a lot. Studies show that users tend to notice the first and last items in a menu the most. This is why many websites start with a “Services” or “Shop” page and end with a call-to-action like “Contact” or “Checkout.”
For single-page websites, match the link order to your sections: start with the top section and list them sequentially. For multipage websites, prioritize by importance. For instance, the most critical link—like “Services”—should go first.
Also, don’t forget about SEO. Incorporating relevant keywords into your links can boost your website’s search engine ranking. If you can make your links SEO-friendly, do it!
6. Optimize for Mobile
Nearly 75% of visitors access websites from mobile devices. Your navbar - and your entire website must be mobile-friendly.
Ensure the mobile version of your navbar is easy to use and optimized for smaller screens. Test it thoroughly and make adjustments as needed.
Wrapping It Up
Navbars are a vital part of website navigation, but there’s so much more to explore. I haven’t even touched on the different types, styles, or the variety of content you can include. I’ll dive deeper into those topics in a future article.
For now, I hope these tips help you improve your website’s navigation. If you have other suggestions or tricks for creating better navbars, feel free to share them in the comments.
Thanks for reading, and have a fantastic day!
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