Which pages should you link in your website navigation?

Luke Meredith

Your website navigation should make life easier for your visitors. This sounds obvious, but many websites get it wrong.

Some menus are too thin and hide important pages. Others are packed with so many links that people don’t know where to click first.

The best navigation is clear, useful and focused. It helps visitors quickly understand what you offer, where to find key information and how to take the next step. It also helps Google understand which pages matter most on your website.

Your navigation is not just a menu

Your website navigation is one of the strongest signposts on your site. If a page is linked from your main menu, you are effectively saying: this page matters.

This doesn’t mean every page should be included. Your main menu should focus on the pages people are most likely to need when deciding whether to buy from you, contact you or find out more.

A good navigation menu should quickly answer three simple questions:

• Who are you?
• What do you offer?
• What should someone do next?

Start with the pages visitors expect

Most business websites should make the key basics easy to find.

Your homepage is usually covered by clicking the logo, although some websites still include “Home” in the menu for clarity.

An About page is useful because people want to know who they are dealing with. This is especially important for service businesses, trades, consultants and companies where trust matters.

A Contact page should also be easy to find. Don’t make people hunt for your phone number, enquiry form, address or opening hours.

These pages form the basics, but they are only the starting point.

Make your key services easy to find

If you offer services, your main service pages should usually be included in the navigation.

This is where many websites go wrong. They have one vague “Services” link and expect visitors to work everything out from there.

This may be fine if you only offer one or two simple services. But if you offer several important services, they should be clearly visible, either as top-level menu items or in a dropdown.

For example, a marketing agency may want separate links for SEO (search engine optimisation), website design, PPC (pay-per-click) and content marketing. A solicitor may want links to family law, conveyancing, wills and probate. A cleaning company may want links to office cleaning, end of tenancy cleaning and carpet cleaning.

These pages matter because they are often the pages people search for in Google. They also help visitors quickly confirm that you provide what they need.

If your most valuable services are hidden, you are making the visitor work too hard.

Don’t overload the menu

A navigation menu with too many links can quickly become confusing. When everything is given equal importance, nothing stands out.

If you have lots of pages, group them sensibly. Dropdowns can work well for services, products, sectors or resources, but they should still be easy to use.

Think about trust and commercial value

When deciding what to include, ask which pages help generate leads, sales or enquiries.

Your highest value pages should be easy to reach. This may include your main services, product categories, pricing page, booking page, case studies, reviews or quote request page.

If people commonly ask for proof before buying, make that proof easy to find.

Use the footer for secondary pages

Your footer has a different job. It is a good place for useful pages that do not need to dominate the main menu.

This may include your privacy policy, terms and conditions, cookie policy, careers, FAQs (frequently asked questions), delivery information, returns policies and social links.

Which pages should your navigation include?

As a guide, most business websites should include links to core pages such as About, Services, key service pages, Contact and a clear call to action.

The best answer is this: link to the pages your visitors need most, the pages that support trust and the pages that help people take the next step.

Need help improving your website structure? Get in touch with Engage Web and we’ll help you create a website that is clear for visitors, easy to use and built to perform well on Google.

About
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Luke Meredith

Content Editor at Engage Web

At home in both the digital sector and the world of communications, Luke thrives on deadlines and has held roles in healthcare, retail and digital marketing, gaining a sound knowledge of a wide range of sectors. He’s a massive swot as well, holding a first-class degree in BA Communication and Media, and now uses his writing skills and keen editorial eye in his role as Content Editor here. Luke helps to oversee our clients’ content requirements, while also looking after a pool of freelance writers across three continents.