Skip to product menu
close
  • Recent Launches
    Press Space or Enter to display list of options
EXPLORE ALL PRODUCTS

Recent Launches

New

Payroll software with automated tax payments and filing.

Try now
New

Robotic process automation software to automate high-volume, rule-based tasks.

Try for free
New

Low-code IoT platform and solutions for connected businesses.

Try now
New

Business formation service to launch and grow your businesses.

Try now
New

Privacy-friendly application analytics solution.

Try for free

Sales

 
CRM

Comprehensive CRM platform for customer-facing teams.

CRM
 
Bigin

Simple CRM for small businesses moving from spreadsheets.

Bigin
 
Forms

Build online forms for every business need.

Forms
 
SalesIQ

Live chat app to engage and convert website visitors.

SalesIQ
 
Bookings

Appointment scheduling app for consultations with customers.

Bookings
 
Sign

Digital signature app for businesses.

Sign
 
RouteIQ

Comprehensive sales map visualization and optimal route planning solution.

RouteIQ
 
Thrive

Complete loyalty and affiliate management platform.

Thrive
 
Voice

Cloud Contact Center Software for businesses.

Voice
 
Suites
CRM Plus

Unified platform to deliver top-notch customer experience.

CRM Plus

Marketing

 
Social

All-in-one social media management software.

Social
 
Campaigns

Create, send, and track targeted email campaigns that drive sales.

Campaigns
 
Forms

Build online forms for every business need.

Forms
 
Survey

Design surveys to reach and interact with your audience.

Survey
 
Sites

Online website builder with extensive customisation options.

Sites
 
PageSense

Website conversion optimization and personalisation platform.

PageSense
 
Backstage

End-to-end event management software.

Backstage
 
Webinar

Webinar platform for webcasting online webinars.

Webinar
 
Marketing Automation

All-in-one marketing automation software.

Marketing Automation
 
LandingPage

Smart landing page builder to increase conversion rates

LandingPage
 
Publish

Manage all your local business listings on a single platform.

Publish
 
SalesIQ

Live chat app to engage and convert website visitors.

SalesIQ
 
Sign

Digital signature app for businesses.

Sign
 
Thrive

Complete loyalty and affiliate management platform.

Thrive
 
Voice

Cloud Contact Center Software for businesses.

Voice
 
NEW
LeadChain

Sync, manage, and convert leads across channels seamlessly.

LeadChain
 
NEW
CommunitySpaces

Online community platform for individuals and businesses to grow their network and brand.

CommunitySpaces
 
Suites
Marketing Plus

Unified marketing platform for marketing teams.

Marketing Plus

Commerce and POS

 
Commerce

eCommerce platform to manage and market your online store.

Commerce

Service

 
Desk

Helpdesk software to deliver great customer support.

Desk
 
Assist

Remote support and unattended remote access software.

Assist
 
Lens

Interactive remote assistance software with augmented reality.

Lens
 
FSM

End-to-end field service management platform for service businesses.

FSM
 
SalesIQ

Live chat app to engage and convert website visitors.

SalesIQ
 
Voice

Cloud Contact Center Software for businesses.

Voice
 
NEW
Solo

The all-in-one toolkit for solopreneurs.

Solo
 
Bookings

Appointment scheduling app for consultations with customers.

Bookings
 
Suites
Service Plus

Unified platform for customer service and support teams.

Service Plus

Finance

 
Books

Powerful accounting platform for growing businesses.

Books
 
FREE
Invoice

100% Free invoicing solution.

Invoice
 
Expense

Effortless expense reporting platform.

Expense
 
Inventory

Powerful stock management and inventory control software.

Inventory
 
Billing

End-to-end billing solution for your business.

Billing
 
Checkout

Collect payments online with custom branded pages.

Checkout
 
NEW
Payroll

Payroll software with automated tax payments and filing.

Payroll
 
NEW
Solo

The all-in-one toolkit for solopreneurs.

Solo
 
Practice

Practice management software for accounting firms.

Practice
 
Sign

Digital signature app for businesses.

Sign
 
Commerce

eCommerce platform to manage and market your online store.

Commerce
 
Suites
Finance Plus

All-in-one suite to manage your operations and finances.

Finance Plus

Email and Collaboration

 
Mail

Secure email service for teams of all sizes.

Mail
 
Meeting

Online meeting software for all your video conferencing & webinar needs.

Meeting
 
Writer

Word processor for focused writing and discussions.

Writer
 
Sheet

Spreadsheet software for collaborative teams.

Sheet
 
Show

Create, edit, and share slides with a sleek presentation app.

Show
 
Notebook

Beautiful home for all your notes.

Notebook
 
Cliq

Stay in touch with teams no matter where you are.

Cliq
 
Connect

Employee experience platform to communicate, engage, and build positive employee relations.

Connect
 
Bookings

Appointment scheduling app for consultations with customers.

Bookings
 
TeamInbox

Shared inboxes for teams.

TeamInbox
 
WorkDrive

Online file management for teams.

WorkDrive
 
Sign

Digital signature app for businesses.

Sign
 
Office Suite

Powerful collaborative work platform for teams.

Office Suite
 
Office Integrator

Built in document editors for web apps.

Office Integrator
 
ZeptoMail

Secure and reliable transactional email sending service.

ZeptoMail
 
Calendar

Online business calendar to manage events and schedule appointments.

Calendar
 
Learn

Knowledge and learning management platform.

Learn
 
Voice

Cloud Contact Center Software for businesses.

Voice
 
ToDo

Collaborative task management for individuals and teams.

ToDo
 
Tables

Work management tool to connect people, processes, and information.

Tables
 
FREE
PDF Editor

Collaborative online PDF editing tool.

PDF Editor
 
Suites
Workplace

Application suite built to improve team productivity and collaboration.

Workplace

Human Resources

 
People

Organize, automate, and simplify your HR processes.

People
 
Recruit

Intuitive recruiting platform built to provide hiring solutions.

Recruit
 
Expense

Effortless expense reporting platform.

Expense
 
Workerly

Manage temporary staffing with an employee scheduling solution.

Workerly
 
NEW
Payroll

Payroll software with automated tax payments and filing.

Payroll
 
Shifts

Employee scheduling and time tracking app.

Shifts
 
Sign

Digital signature app for businesses.

Sign
 
Suites
People Plus

Comprehensive HR platform for seamless employee experiences.

People Plus

Security and IT Management

 
Creator

Build custom apps to simplify business processes.

Creator
 
Directory

Workforce identity and access management solution for cloud businesses.

Directory
 
FREE
OneAuth

Secure multi-factor authenticator (MFA) for all your online accounts.

OneAuth
 
Vault

Online password manager for teams.

Vault
 
Catalyst

Pro-code platform to build and deploy your apps.

Catalyst
 
Toolkit

Complete resource for any admin-related lookup queries.

Toolkit
 
Lens

Interactive remote assistance software with augmented reality.

Lens
 
Assist

Remote support and unattended remote access software.

Assist
 
QEngine

Test automation software to build, manage, execute, and report testcases.

QEngine
 
NEW
RPA

Automate manual, tedious, and repetitive tasks easily.

RPA

BI and Analytics

 
Analytics

Modern self-service BI and analytics platform.

Analytics
 
Embedded BI

Embedded analytics and white label BI solutions, tailored for your needs.

Embedded BI
 
DataPrep

AI-powered data preparation service for your data-driven organization.

DataPrep
 
NEW
IoT

Harnessing IoT analytics for real-time operational intelligence.

IoT

Project Management

 
Projects

Manage, track, and collaborate on projects with teams.

Projects
 
Sprints

Planning and tracking tool for scrum teams.

Sprints
 
BugTracker

Automatic bug tracking software for managing bugs.

BugTracker
 
NEW
Solo

The all-in-one toolkit for solopreneurs.

Solo

Developer Platforms

 
Creator

Build custom apps to simplify business processes.

Creator
 
Flow

Automate business workflows by creating smart integrations.

Flow
 
Catalyst

Pro-code platform to build and deploy your apps.

Catalyst
 
Office Integrator

Built in document editors for web apps.

Office Integrator
 
ZeptoMail

Secure and reliable transactional email sending service.

ZeptoMail
 
QEngine

Test automation software to build, manage, execute, and report testcases.

QEngine
 
Tables

Work management tool to connect people, processes, and information.

Tables
 
NEW
RPA

Automate manual, tedious, and repetitive tasks easily.

RPA
 
NEW
Apptics

Application analytics for all apps.

Apptics
 
Embedded BI

Embedded analytics and white label BI solutions, tailored for your needs.

Embedded BI
 
NEW
IoT

Build, deploy, and scale IoT solutions for connected businesses.

IoT
 
DataPrep

AI-powered data preparation service for your data-driven organization.

DataPrep

IoT

 
NEW
IoT

Low-code IoT platform and solutions for connected businesses.

IoT

Search Result

 
CRM Plus

Unified platform to deliver top-notch customer experience.

Try now
CRM Plus
 
Service Plus

Unified platform for customer service and support teams.

Try now
Service Plus
 
Finance Plus

All-in-one suite to manage your operations and finances.

Try now
Finance Plus
 
People Plus

Comprehensive HR platform for seamless employee experiences.

Try now
People Plus
 
Workplace

Application suite built to improve team productivity and collaboration.

Try now
Workplace
 
Marketing Plus

Unified marketing platform for marketing teams.

Try now
Marketing Plus
 
All-in-one suite

Zoho One

The Operating System for Business

Run your entire business on Zoho with our unified cloud software, designed to help you break down silos between departments and increase organizational efficiency.

TRY ZOHO ONE
Zoho One
Zoho Marketplace

With over 2000 ready-to-use extensions across 40+ categories, connect your favorite business tools with the Zoho products you already use.

EXPLORE MARKETPLACE
Marketplace
Skip to main content
Zoho Academy

Best Practices for Website Navigation Menus

  • 4 Mins Read
  • Posted on January 22, 2020
  • Last Updated on October 29, 2024
  • By Natalie

Your navigation menu is like a series of doors embedded above-the-fold of your website, which open—hopefully intuitively—to the information each visitor is looking for. While menus don’t receive a whole lot of attention from an aesthetic point of view, they’re one of the primary elements through which visitors will determine—consciously or not—the usability of your site. In other words, if your visitors can’t find what they’re looking for with minimal effort, they’re not likely to stick around long. On the other hand, efficient navigation menu design can boost traffic (and therefore SEO), increase page views, improve user experience, and grow sales.

You’re a web user; we think you know this from a consumer perspective. But it’s not always easy to turn it around and look at it from a web design perspective. So in this post, we start with the basics. Your homepage navigation should:

Include fewer than seven items

We’d recommend even fewer than that; you’re striving for simplicity here. The more items you have in your navigation, the more difficulty your visitors will have processing and remembering them. And of course, fewer items means each discrete item is more visually prominent… and thus more likely to be considered by your visitor.

Incorporate a drop-down menu if you must have more than seven items

Maybe you offer a diverse range of products or services, for example… and that’s great! Just keep in mind that drop-down menus present some difficulty for search engine crawlers.

What’s more, do try to keep the drop-down menu to a single level (there’s no sense suddenly overwhelming your visitor at the hover), and signify drop-downs with visual clues, like the arrows Vimeo uses in their navigation:

A screenshot from Vimeo's website showing a dropdown menu under "host videos" with a downward arrow.

Be descriptive

Menu items like “products,” “services,” “photos,” and “videos” aren’t going to do much for your site visitors—not to mention for your SEO efforts. (Why use the word “services” when you can say “skin care” and “reflexology”?)

Listing your primary products or services instantly communicates your business to your visitors, making it immediately evident what you do, and helping them determine whether they’re in the right place. So take a tip from Tesla and Bare Studio:

A navigation bar from Tesla's website, listing: Model S, Model X, Model 3, Roadster, and Energy

A navigation bar from Bare Studio's website, listing Home, Waxing, Skin Care, Advanced Skin Treatments, The Studio, and News

Include a search

Vimeo does this well in the above example. A prominent search function prevents visitors who come to your site knowing exactly what they’re looking for from having to click through a series of pages to get to it. (Search is especially useful for decreasing this kind of friction on eCommerce sites).

Including a search feature not only increases your conversions; it also gives you invaluable data about what your visitors are searching for, so that you know better what to offer them in the future.

Consider order

By “order,” we mean “hierarchy.” But we also mean that you should keep in mind the serial position effect: the theory that items at the very beginning and the very end of a list are more easily remembered than those items that fall in-between. (This is the “primacy effect” and “recency effect,” respectively).

In other words, the first and last items on your menu are likely to be most effective. So if you want to forefront your content marketing efforts, your blog might be the menu item farthest to the right. Your newest or best-selling product might be the menu item farthest to the left. And so on.

Reflect visitor behavior

This is really a way of saying that your navigation should be intuitive. You’ll refine this over time through analytics; but your main navigation menu should be reflective of visitors’ typical behavior by including the pages that they most often visit. After all, the menu is there to help visitors find what they’re looking for; and if you know what visitors are looking for, you may as well give it to them—simply and immediately.

Google Analytics, Clicky, and Zoho PageSense are all great platforms for website analytics. The data they’ll give you will help determine which menu items to remove (if they rarely get clicked and they aren’t crucial), rename (if they rarely get clicked and they are crucial), or move (remember those primacy and recency effects we just discussed).

So consider the structure and copy of your navigation menu carefully. What goes into it will affect traffic, UX, and conversions more than you might imagine. If you’re just starting out, you can always sit a friend down in front of your homepage and have them talk through their experience of navigating your site from there. Witnessing a new user try to move through your site from its “front door” will alert you, early on, to potential hiccups in the navigation.

If you’re not sure which pages to include in your menu, we recommend you start with these:

Whatever other menu items you decide to incorporate will depend upon your business and services/products. Maybe you’re a designer and you need a prominent menu item for your work portfolio. Or maybe your product is expensive enough that you need a dedicated testimonials page to help people move through your sales funnel. Experiment, analyze, test…and test some more. Like every other element on your webpage, your navigation should be fluid, changing to reflect your users’ desires and behaviors.

Related Topics

Zoho products mentioned on this page: