This one is really a simple fix in almost every situation. Ever been to a website and you really just weren’t sure where to find something? Maybe the menu was in a weird place or it had a thousand sub menus that made you feel like you were trapped in the labyrinth doomed to eternal wandering! Yea, we’ve all been there when it really just isn’t obvious how to get where you want to go and you feel lost.
I was taking a look at a website recently and simply could not find the menu. I finally had it pointed out to me. There was a little “button” that when you clicked on it, slid out across the screen and opened up into a menu. Please don’t do that. No, no… seriously, just don’t do it. Take it from your friendly local web design agency… it’s just a bad thing to do.
Keep it simple. Make sure the menu is in an obvious location in the header with clear concise titles and sub menus, keeping the sub menus to a minimum and being concise with those as well.
Be sure to provide alternate navigation methods at least in the footer, but also possibly in the sidebar or on certain pages in the form of call to actions.
If you have to sit down and show your prospect how to navigate your site, you are doing it wrong! It should be easy and fast to navigate your site. Don’t let a confusing navigation ruin an otherwise great website.
