Navigation is the key to giving your users approaches to navigate and interact with the content on your website. Good navigation also helps with your Search Engine Optimization (SEO) rankings.
Here are 6 types of navigation that a website can and should have:
1. Primary Navigation - This type of navigation contains the primary navigation links which are found within the header of the website. Just like the name says, this is the primary navigation approach that users will use when they are navigating your website. It also lets you group your navigation content based on root navigation links and sub-navigation links (Subnavigation links are links that have a navigation depth greater than the root navigation link's depth and are found under them). Though you can make sub-navigation links that are under other sub-navigation links, it's usually best to not go beyond a navigation depth of 3.
2. Secondary Navigation - This contains the navigation links which are found within the footer and/or above the primary navigation within the header. These are special links that are outside your categories found within the primary navigation but are important for your users to see and interact with.
3. Breadcrumb Trail - This contains links that lead back to the path you navigated down. It gives the users, which are navigating your website, a way to backtrack the navigation path that they journeyed down.
4. Page Search - This is a search bar that is typically found within the header and it lets your users enter information about pages that you are searching for. Once the search begins it will bring up a list of short descriptions and links to pages that match what you searched for. This is a nice feature to have especially for users who come to your website knowing something specific that they want to find.
5. Sitemap - This holds all of your navigation links and it is a map of the navigation paths that users can go down.
6. General Links - These are links to different pages that are found within the page content itself.
Navigation is the key that gives your users a comfortable and interactive way to navigate your website and understand what your business offers in a clean organized and precise way.
