There are many who do not consider navigation as a priority topic in web design, however, we warn you to keep it in mind, as it could be creating a frustrating experience for any potential customer, even if inadvertently. Anyone visits your website looking for specific information and, if they don't find it, they will quickly visit another one, leaving the impression that your company is as disorganized as your website.
A good navigation structure should be clear, keeping visitors longer on your website, which could potentially mean more readers, subscribers, sales or connections – whatever your objective.
Website navigation is intrinsically linked to both usability and accessibility, so it is essential that it is one of the priority concerns. Most websites and blogs use very common techniques that are already expected by those who visit them. The pages and sections of the website should provide the visitor with easy and logical guidance, so they should not make them think about how to use your website. This use must be natural and without any effort.
There are several principles you should follow to create a good navigation structure:
- Use icons to support navigation. They are not only appealing but easy to use and understand;
- Create logical groups of related links, with the most important ones in the top-level navigation and the rest elsewhere;
- Provide location information so users know where they are on your site and how to navigate to another area of the site. This functionality can be implemented through breadcrumbs, an essential tool for any self-respecting website.
