Navigation Features: Your Website’s Map

Have you ever visited a website that had great colors, images, and even fun, catchy phrases…but you were confused about where to go next? Navigation that fits the needs of the business and is straightforward for the user is very important. Before a web designer can add in flashy animations, colorful backgrounds, and bold graphics, they need to get the basics functioning first and that includes navigation. What types of navigation are there and how do you choose the right layout for you?

The most fundamental and standard navigation for a custom website is global navigation. This structure does not change from page to page and is accessible no matter where you go in the site. Even with other types of navigation incorporated, every site should have a home button or link (a common place for this is in the logo) which is “global” on every page of the site. This type gives the website consistency and keeps all the information one or two clicks away. It works well with almost all custom websites, especially if you are selling several products or services.

Linear navigation is like a global navigation structure with a more precise target in mind. This navigation type leads the visitor on a very straight path towards purchasing a product or service and it works well when focusing on one product or service.  It takes the visitor to a page where they need to take action rather than leaving it up to them to make a decision or not. Linear navigation leaves “breadcrumbs”, which means the visitor follows a path laid out for them, but can retrace their steps to go back if they want to. This method is great for specific target audiences.

Hierarchical navigation appears almost like multiple sites in one. A user will click on one page of the global navigation and it will take them to a page that has more navigation on it. This works well for companies with a lot of content, have multiple divisions, or work with partners. There are more forms of navigation that take a risk by diverging from the traditional—it’s up to the company and the designer to decide what liberties they want to take and which will benefit the company’s website. Not sure what type or combination of navigation you need? That’s where Beyond Custom Websites comes in. Not only will we determine the best type of navigation for your small business website, we will help you choose the positioning, name the pages, and set up dropdown menus.  Beyond Custom Websites creates other links in the website within written content, images, and logos. Not all websites have a complete and functioning site map, but every custom website we design is equipped with one so users never get confused. The simple, yet creative navigation features our web team incorporates will improve search engine page rank and ensure visitors look at more than just the home page. Contact us today and we’ll inform you about our website design process including navigation features and so much more.