Practices to improve website navigation
Introduction
Because of the intense focus on search engine optimization these days, many site creators appear to believe that their pages provide a good user experience (UX) because of high visitor numbers. However, just because a site receives visitors from all over the world does not mean conversion rates are also great. Visitors will spend less time thinking about why they are on a given site and more time actually using it if the navigation options are clear.
What is website navigation?
Web navigation is the process of navigating a hypertext or hypermedia-based network of information links on the world wide web. The web browser is the user interface that is used for navigation. The purpose of navigation websites is to guide people through the site and assist them to locate what they’re looking for. This is a must-have feature for a user-friendly website.
Best Practices to help you improve website navigation
If you wish to optimize your website navigation, we’ve put together a list of easy techniques to help you out.
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Make things easier
Your website’s main menu needs to be attractive enough to capture an audience. the position of the menu bar is also important. Mostly, the menu bar is located on the top, on either left or right corner, marked as 3 small vertical lines.
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Make your navigation bar mobile-friendly
This step is a must. Various people use mobile these days to browse through websites and they need a satisfactory result. One of the several reasons is Google’s mobile-first indexing, which means the search engine indexes the website’s mobile version first. Google announced that all new websites will have mobile-first indexing enabled by default. Because of their small size, mobile devices require a particular layout to appear beautiful and be usable. There are numerous excellent responsive navigation sites, based on JS, CSS, and JQuery. In a card grid, responsive menus expand and collapse on touch, slide, or fly out.
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Make navigation titles clear, concise, and descriptive.
The names of your menu items ought to be in a user-friendly way to explain the content of the linked page. Your audience is curious about what they will get if they click on a specific link. Link titles that are well-written boost web accessibility for users who use screen readers. It also boosts SEO, so always remember to add your keywords.
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ALT text for clickable visuals
Another technique for improving website navigation is related to web accessibility. ALT text should be used to describe the contents of images. Clickable graphics that act as navigation items on your website should define the linked page in the content of navigation.
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Keep navigation simple
It will be simple to keep the navigation basic if your website is not a marketplace or an online supermarket. Avoid perplexing and overwhelming your audience with unnecessary options. On the main menu, there should be no more than 7-8 items. They should reflect the site’s most essential options and choices.
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Use breadcrumbs
Breadcrumbs may substantially improve the user experience by assisting users in finding their way through your website, particularly if it is complex. Breadcrumbs are common navigation elements that appear as clickable strings of links, typically horizontal ones. They either reflect the website’s hierarchy or replicate the path taken by the user.
Endnote
No website is identical. To navigate, each requires a unique technique. A lot relies on the number of items or services you offer, as well as your priorities. You can give your customers a pleasant experience with the support of frontend developers, designers, and SEO professionals
