Create Navigation That Actually Works for Your Users

Last Edited Time

Jun 27, 2025 04:08 PM

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Squarespace

user experience

website navigation

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AI summary

Effective website navigation should be predictable and familiar, with standard placements for menus and links. Avoid creative navigation that confuses users; instead, focus on functionality to enhance user experience and trust. Regularly analyze user behavior to ensure navigation effectiveness.

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Excerpt

Your website's navigation should work the way people expect it to. Here's how to get it right.

TL;DR: Key Points

Keep navigation where people expect to find it (top of page, mobile menu in top right)

Familiar navigation patterns help users focus on your content, not figuring out your site

Breaking navigation conventions confuses visitors and drives them away

Only change standard navigation if it genuinely improves the user experience

Predictable doesn't mean boring – it means functional

Main Content

Web users have been trained by millions of websites to expect certain things in certain places. They look for the main menu at the top of the page. On mobile, they expect the hamburger menu in the top right corner. Footer links go at the bottom.

Break these patterns without good reason, and you're asking users to solve a puzzle before they can access your content. Most won't bother.

Trust Through Familiarity

Predictable navigation builds trust because it works the way people expect. Users can focus on reading your content or buying your products instead of working out how to use your website.

Stick to these proven patterns:

Main menu: Top of the page, usually horizontal

Mobile menu toggle: Top right corner on mobile screens

Footer links: Bottom of every page for secondary navigation and important links

Search: Top right area or clearly visible in the header

I've seen websites with menus that slide in from the left, navigation hidden behind cryptic icons, or main links buried in unexpected places. The designers thought they were being innovative. The users just got frustrated and left.

Unless your creative navigation approach solves a real problem or adds genuine value, stick with what works.

Quick Check: Before you move navigation somewhere unusual, ask yourself: "Does this actually help my users, or am I just trying to be different?"

FAQs

You can add personality to your navigation through styling, but keep the structure familiar. Users want to find information quickly, not admire your navigation creativity.

Some industries do have their own conventions. E-commerce sites often have different patterns than blogs. Follow the standards your specific audience expects.

Watch your analytics for high bounce rates and use heatmap tools to see where users are clicking. If people can't find what they need quickly, they'll leave.

Jargon Buster

Navigation: The menu system that helps users move around your website

Mobile toggle: The button (usually three lines) that opens the mobile menu

Footer links: Secondary navigation and important links placed at the bottom of pages

Bounce rate: The percentage of visitors who leave after viewing only one page

Wrap-up

Good navigation is invisible. Users shouldn't have to think about how to use your website – they should just be able to use it. Save your creativity for your content, branding, and visual design. Keep your navigation boring, predictable, and functional. Your users will thank you for it.

Create Navigation That Actually Works for Your Users