Your website’s navbar is the navigation center for your entire website. It sets the precedent for where you want your website visitors to go.
Regrettably, many people add all the pages from their website to this.
Today, we are going to talk about 3 tips to fix your navbar.
If you don’t know what the navbar is, it is the top bar on a webpage that links to appropriate sections/pages on the website.
1️⃣ Tip #1: Only the essentials
The biggest mistake I see on websites is overloading the navbar.
Your navbar is not where every page of your website needs to go. This is one of the first sections your website visitor see. That first impression is critical for keeping visitors on your website. To fix this, you need to only keep what is essential for helping your visitor find what they are looking for. At this point, you should know who your ideal customer is and this will allow you to cater the navbar for them.
Generally, no more than four links and a button should be used in the navbar.
2️⃣ Tip #2: Call to action
Your navbar needs to include a strong call to action. While the direct call to action should go in the hero section, it’s key to have a call to action in the navbar as well.
If you would like to read more about call to actions, check out my previous issue: Two call to actions you need on your website.
Best practice: This should go in the upper right-hand corner. When your eyes skim a website, they read left to right before navigating the rest of the website.
3️⃣ Tip #3: Hover dropdowns
While every industry has different website needs, you might need more than four links in the navbar.
The best trick to keep it looking lean is to include hover dropdowns. That way you can keep 4 links in the navbar but include other links when you hover over the headings.
In the end, it’s best to know your ideal customer. Why are they coming to your website? Are they looking for credibility, social proof, to be educated, or are they ready to buy now? All this info should shape what you put in the navbar.
🔑 Summary
To recap:
- Only include the essentials
- Add a strong call to action
- If you need more links, add hover dropdowns
One last thing…
👉 Real quick: How do you currently feel about your website?
A) Love it, I don’t want to change anything
B) It’s okay, could use improvement
C) Hate it. It’s not working for our business
Just send me a reply with the letter that fits you best (and anything else you want to share).
Happy to hear from you!