Optimizing Navigation for Your Website
In web design, it’s considered best practice to limit your top-level navigation to eight or fewer items. This approach helps maintain a clear, user-friendly experience for site visitors.
Benefits of Fewer Navigation Items
Reducing the number of top-level navigation items improves readability and usability. It ensures that visitors can easily navigate your site without feeling overwhelmed or distracted.
Example of Effective Navigation
For instance, Cascade Support Site features a streamlined top-level navigation with seven items, enhancing user accessibility and clarity.
Challenges of Excessive Navigation Items
Conversely, having nine or more navigation items can clutter the interface and overwhelm users. It may even necessitate a scroll bar in the navigation area, which can detract from the main page’s focus.
Example of Overcrowded Navigation
An example from the University of Montana webpage illustrates how a crowded navigation with numerous items can diminish user experience by making navigation less intuitive.
Avoiding Redundant Navigation Elements
Avoid duplicating navigation functions with additional assets like buttons or bulleted lists. The top-level and left-hand navigations are standard conventions that effectively guide visitors without unnecessary elements.
Proper Use of Buttons
Reserve buttons for clear calls to action, maintaining their effectiveness and clarity within your site’s navigation structure.