Yes to ease of navigation.
Your website menu plays an important role in making your website easy to navigate and usable. It allows for good user experience, and thereby attracts more website traffic. It also positions your brand for more conversions. Here are 5 ideas to enhance your WordPress website menu.
1. Leverage Plugins
Menu locations and design vary from one theme to another. When faced with limited options or when your theme doesn’t provide the features you desire, there are a number of plugins that can serve as an alternative.
Plugins extend your website’s features and functionality. Among those that you can use for your website menu are:
- Social Menu — A social links menu guides users on where to find you on Facebook, Twitter, and other platforms. You simply need to specify the link to your account and it will direct your users to them when they click on the menu. Other than this, you can also install a social sharing buttons plugin to enable users to share your posts and pages directly. (Example plugins: The Social Links and MashShare)
- Header and Footer Menus—There are builder plugins that you can install to create unique designs for these menus. The number of themes that they can be used with, however, can be limited. (Example plugin: Beaver Builder Header Footer)
- Floating Menu — Users can sometimes find it frustrating to scroll back up after reading a lengthy article. To improve the experience they’re getting, you can display a floating menu on either side of your pages. It can have the same features with your primary or header menu. (Example plugin: WP Floating Menu)
When looking for the right plugin, check the things you can customize. There can be different design templates, a limited number of social platforms, and add-ons that are unique to the plugin.
2. Add Icons
Apart from making your website navigation menu look good, icons help users determine the contents of each menu item.
Inserting them in your menu may require some knowledge on codes, but thankfully there are plugins that have made it easier. One example is Menu Icons, which supports a variety of icons to choose from.
You can have a unique icon for a:
- Shopping cart
- Homepage
- Contact page
- Any other items on your menu
Icons can be customized according to size. There can also be advanced options for each plugin, so be free to explore the different features available before installing one.
3. List Items in a Dropdown
Organization is one key to good user experience. It is always helpful to find the things you need just right where they are expected to be. You can do the same with your website menu.
You can organize items according to their major categories. Imagine for example that you are putting up a website for a non-profit organization. Your menu items may include and be organized this way:
- About — Our History, Mission and Vision, Our Team
- Opportunities — Sponsor, Volunteer
- Activities — Annual Camps, Community Outreach, Fundraising
To list your items in a dropdown menu, go to Appearance > Menus. Next, choose the menu that you wish to edit or create a new menu instead.
The box at the left shows the items that you can include in your menu. Note that only published items will be appear in the options.
Tick the box that corresponds to the item you wish to include, and click on “Add to Menu.”
Your selected items will appear inside the box at the right.
Next, choose the main categories and identify the items that will fall under them. Feel free to drag and drop each item accordingly.
To distinguish the sub items from the main categories, drag the sub items a little to the right. You may then arrange each of them alphabetically.
With everything in place, click on “Save Menu” or “Create Menu”. Make sure to choose the menu location to see the menu displayed on your website. Otherwise, it will just be stored in your WordPress account.
There are also dropdown menu plugins like Max Mega Menu, which can make your existing menu more friendly to your website users.
4. Make Your Menu Mobile-Friendly
Another idea to enhance your WordPress website menu is to make it mobile-friendly. Check to see how your menu works on different screens.
As the years progress, more and more people are browsing the internet from their mobile devices. To make sure your website users receive the same best experience they have from a desktop, you can install a responsive menu plugin.
There are a number of plugins available, and the designs can vary. So again, check to see the features they offer before installing.
5. Align Your Menu with Your Brand
Although your theme does have default settings, you can still customize it and align it with the identity that you are trying to establish to your target users.
You can customize your website’s:
- Colors
- Fonts
- Contents
There are many other things you can adjust to make your website unique. As for your menu, consider whether it will suit the overall look you desire. Consider the experience it will provide your users as well.
Consistency in all aspects of your website can make a difference. It adds value, promotes trust, builds a clear identity, and develops you towards excellence. In the end, you don’t want people to simply remember your website — it’s your brand that counts.
We hope you found these 5 Ideas to Enhance Your WordPress Website Menu helpful. Give us a clap or leave us a comment to let us know what you think. We would love to hear from you!
Other Articles from Our Website:
- Creativity in This Day and Age
- How to Customize Your WordPress Website
- Getting Straight with Content Marketing this 2017
Slapshot Studio is a collective of storytellers, strategists, and designers from around the world. We partner with ambitious leaders to grow remarkable brands and websites that foster community and ignite the imagination.
