What is a website navigation menu?
To begin with, you might have already noticed that most websites have a navigation menu. According to Antidote, a menu is a list of things that are displayed for you to choose from. In other words, it shows all the available pages or sections on a website. Since the most important information must be located at the top of the page, we usually find the site navigation menu in the header. It can also be found on the side or in the footer sometimes. It is possible to use anchors in the navigation menu to send your visitors to a specific place. It can be relevant if you are looking to create a one-page website.
But what is the utility of a website navigation menu? Its main purpose is to help the navigation. At one glance, visitors must be able to find the pages they are looking for in the menu. Remember that if they cannot find what they are looking for quickly, they will leave your website. On the contrary, removing the navigation menu could be relevant if you want to create a landing page and do not want your potential customers to visit other website pages.
Do you want to create your website header but do not know where to start? Take a look at our article on everything you need to know on your website header to discover our tips and see some examples.
How structure the components of the navigation menu
What should you include in your navigation menu? As we just mentioned, we should find all the pages of your site, as well as the subpages and important sections. Let us take a moment to organize the information on your website. Of course, adding only a few main pages instead of 20 is better to avoid having a heavy or complicated look. Your visitors only need to hover over the main pages to discover the available subpages.
Note down all your website pages on a sheet of paper. Is it possible to gather some pages together under the same category? Are there any sections that must be displayed on the navigation menu, like a link to your contact form? For example, if you have a business, you could have a page called services and subpages related to the different services you offer. The important thing to remember here is that you must send your visitors to the right place quickly. Try different tests if needed. You can also add the main pages of your navigation menu in the footer.
How to create and customize the navigation menu on your WebSelf website
If you are creating a website with WebSelf, let us give you a few tips on how to create and customize the navigation menu. First, you might have already noticed that most of our website templates have a navigation menu. You only need to customize it with the components you need.
First step: to change the name of the pages on the navigation menu, go on the Pages tab on the left and click on one of the pages to access the settings. Replace the existing name with the new one, and the change will appear in the menu.
Second step: to create a subpage, return to the Pages tab. To modify the order or create a subpage, drag the existing page where you want it to be. Regarding the subpage, drag it under another page to see the creation of a link between the two. Repeat this process for all the subpages.
Third step: if you need to add links or anchors in the navigation menu, click on the Link button on the Pages tab. You will have the possibility to add an external link to your website or an anchor to send your visitors to the right place.
Now, how can you customize the navigation menu of your WebSelf website? To edit the style, you only need to click on the header and the menu. You will have the option to modify the settings or the style.
You can modify the text alignment and the space between the letters or tabs in the settings. If you see a title tab called Plus, it means that there is not enough space to add all the wanted pages. You can decide to shorten the page names or play with the spaces if needed.
If you decide to change the navigation menu style, you can modify the menu shapes, animations, the colors or the background image, the fonts, the size, the borders, and the shading. You have access to different options to create the perfect navigation menu for your website.
In conclusion, the navigation menu is one of the essential components of your website. Besides organizing the site pages, it will allow your visitors to find the information they are looking for more easily. A navigation menu is also essential for the mobile version of your website. Since there is less space, a navigation menu can help you organize the content more easily. Do not forget that more and more people are using their smartphones to browse the web. Consequently, it would be relevant to refine the mobile version of your website as well!