Your website’s navigation may make sense to you, but will it make sense to new visitors? Research by User Interface Engineering indicates that 60 percent of the time people cannot find the information they are looking for on a website. More often than not, the site's main navigation is just not clear.

There are times where creativity can really set your brand apart, but naming your navigation links is not one of them. Web visitors click on links when they know where they will end up. That is why keeping your main navigation as simple and understandable as possible is vital.

Do these navigation links sound familiar?:

• Home
• About
• Services
• News
• Contact

 
Of course they do. We see these words, or slight variations, used again and again on the web — because people understand them. They are familiar, easy to comprehend, and save the visitor time.

Does this mean you have to use these exact words? Of course not. However, it is a smart idea to use simple and clear terminology to ensure visitors can find what they are looking for. Once you have your navigation in place, then let your creative juices flow with your site's imagery, color palette and messages.