DESIGN FOR YOUR CUSTOMERS
How to organise navigation for a small business website
Navigation should help someone unfamiliar with your business find the right answer. Start with the pages and customer questions, then decide how the menu should look.
Use labels a visitor can predict
Write the proposed menu in plain text. “Services,” “About” and “Contact” are easy to interpret. If you use a more specific label, check that it describes the destination. An imaginative label that needs explaining adds work for the visitor.
Keep the first level focused
Place the main destinations in the primary menu. Put policies and less frequent information in the footer. If you have several substantial services, decide whether they need a services overview or a usable submenu. Do not add dropdowns merely to make a short site look larger.
Try a task without coaching
Ask a reader to find a service and then contact you. Notice which label they choose first. If they repeatedly choose the wrong destination, revise the label or structure. Do not tell them which link to press; that prevents the test from revealing the problem.
Check menu behaviour
- Confirm every destination exists and describes the promised content.
- Use the keyboard to open and move through the menu.
- Look for a visible focus indicator and a clear current-page state.
- On mobile, open and close the menu, then follow a link.
- If there is a submenu, make sure it remains usable without precise mouse movement.
W3C's menu guidance covers structure, keyboard operation and recognisable menu states. Apply those checks to the working preview, not just to a design image.
Link from the content too
The main menu cannot answer every next question. A service page can link directly to its process, a relevant guide or the contact page. These links should appear where the reader needs them. Finish the review by entering the site through an inner page; someone arriving from search may never see your homepage first.
Sources and further detail
Technical references checked on 8 October 2026. Provider features can change.
Practical guidance with illustrative examples. Read our editorial standards or send a correction.