Put Navigation Where Visitors Expect to Find It
Visitors look for navigation where they expect it to be. When a site puts its menu somewhere unconventional, people take longer to find what they need, or they give up (Nielsen Norman Group, 2017). The conventional places are a horizontal bar across the top of the page or a column down the left side.
What the research observed
The finding comes from eye-tracking research on left-to-right attention. People do not approach each site fresh. They bring habits from every other site they have used, and they aim their eyes at the spots where those habits say the menu will be. The same research found that no participant scrolled horizontally, another sign that people stick to familiar patterns.
When the menu is where visitors expect it, finding it costs them almost nothing. When it is tucked into an unusual position, or styled so it does not read as a menu, visitors spend effort searching before they can do anything else. Some leave instead.
What it means for a business website
Custom design sometimes treats navigation as a place to stand out: a floating menu in an odd corner, or links scattered across a hero image. These choices make a site look different, but they make visitors work to find the services page, the pricing, or the contact details.
A business site gains little from an unusual menu. Visitors came to find information, and the menu is the tool they use to find it.
What to do
- Use a standard top navigation bar on desktop, or a left column for sites with deep content.
- Label menu items in plain words, such as “Services,” “Pricing,” and “Contact,” rather than clever names.
- Keep the menu in the same position on every page.
- Watch a few people who have never seen the site try to reach your contact page, and note where they look first.
Sources
- Fessenden. Horizontal Attention Leans Left. Nielsen Norman Group, 2017.