Here at Pumpkin Web Design Manchester, we are Manchester’s leading web design professionals. We work with a variety of companies across Manchester, and the North West, including those in Blackburn and Chorley, to provide high quality web design solutions. As a result we have produced this guide to everything you should know about fixed navigation bars in web design.
What are fixed navigation bars in web design?
Fixed navigation bars are a type of navigation bar that does not move, but is displayed either vertically or horizontally on the screen in the same permanent position. Generally, this will be used at the top of the page, so that users will see it as soon as the website loads. Slide out menus and hamburger menus are the opposite of the fixed menu, as these are revealed and hidden with the touch of a button, or a simple swipe.
What are the important considerations for using fixed navigation bars in web design?
To make sure you get your navigation system right, you should consider:
- Responsive design- fixed navigation bars are generally a no-go for mobile screens and devices. This is because the small screen size will shrink the navigation link buttons, and so they will become unusable. Instead, a hamburger or slide out menu should be used, with a menu that opens as full screen size.
- Visual design- if your navigation bar will stay front and centre on your web-pages, you should be sure to design this effectively. Choose colours and styles that suit your company branding and the rest of the colour scheme, for a professional, stylish result.
- Include navigation links in the footer- with a static or fixed navigation bar, once the potential customer has scrolled through your content, the navigation links will no longer be visible. Instead of expecting the user to scroll back to the top of the page, you can include some page links as part of the footer. This can help improve the user experience, and potentially increase sales and sign ups.
- Meet user expectations- Because a fixed navigation bar was industry standard for so long, and this was used extensively across the web, users often instinctively look for the fixed or static navigation bar. Meeting this expectation and instinct can help to improve the user experience, and decrease website friction.
What are the drawbacks of fixed navigation bars in web design?
Using fixed navigation bars in web design can also bring some disadvantages. These include:
- Not being on screen- with a fixed navigation bar, when a website user or potential customer or clients scrolls down the page, the navigation bar will likely disappear off the page. This can be frustrating for your website users are they need to scroll all the way back up to navigate your website.
- Take up screen space- a fixed navigation bar also takes up screen space which for mobile web design in particular, can be an issue. Here a slide out or hamburger menu may be more effective.
For more information or advice, or for high quality, professional web design solutions, get in touch with the experts today, here at Pumpkin Web Design Manchester.