A landing page has become an essential tool in every marketer’s toolbox these days. We use them to drive conversions for all kinds of offers – from ebooks and webinars to free trials and product sales.
But there’s an ongoing debate around whether or not you should include navigation menus on your landing pages. You know, those handy menus across the top or side of a page that let visitors click to other sections of your website.
Some experts claim navigation menus should never be added to landing pages because they distract visitors and drive them away from converting on your offer. Others argue that not having any navigation creates a walled-garden effect and damages credibility.
So which is it? Should you have navigation or not?
The truth is, it depends. In some cases, adding navigation menus hurts conversions. But in other situations, they can actually help guide visitors and improve results.
In this article, we’ll look at the pros and cons of using navigation menus on landing pages. We’ll discuss when they can help versus when they may hurt conversions. And we’ll provide tips for designing landing page navigation right.
By the end, you’ll have a better understanding of how to use navigation effectively on your landing pages. And you’ll learn how to build pages that deliver results, whether you include navigation or not. Let’s dive in!
What are Navigation Menus?
Before we get into the pros and cons, let’s make sure we’re all on the same page about what navigation menus are.
Navigation menus are links grouped together that allow visitors to easily move between the different pages or sections of a website. They provide quick access to main site areas and help people find what they need.
On most websites, the primary navigation menu runs horizontally across the top of the page. But they can also be placed vertically on the left side, in the footer, or even in a mobile-friendly dropdown or “hamburger” menu.
Common navigation links lead to pages like:
Home
About
Products/Services
Contact
Blog or Resources
The links in the menu allow visitors to quickly jump to other pages with just one click. And they usually maintain their styling and placement as visitors move around the site for a consistent experience.
For a landing page specifically, navigation menus may link out to:
Main website homepage
Other landing pages
Pricing or product pages
Company blog or help documentation
So in summary, navigation menus provide links to important sections of a website in an easy-to-use presentation that remains consistent across pages. They act as a site mapping tool to aid navigation.
Pros of Using Landing Page Menus
Navigation menus come with some potential benefits when used on landing pages. Here are some of the main pros:
They allow visitors to easily navigate to other pages on your site if they want to. Some people like having the ability to browse and click around.
Menus provide a sense of credibility and professionalism. Visitors expect sites to have navigation, so it makes your page look more polished.
You can include calls-to-action in the navigation links themselves. For example “Free Trial” or “See Pricing”.
Navigation is a familiar concept that visitors already understand. They know how menus work so it’s easy to use.
It allows you to link out to other landing pages, product pages, or your blog. This lets visitors explore more content.
For branded company pages, visitors may expect to see navigation to access standard site sections.
When you have a multi-page funnel, it guides visitors through each step.
Navigation menus are important for accessibility, making sites usable for all.
So in many situations, having some navigational links on a landing page can provide a better experience and help guide visitors. The key is implementing them effectively for your goals.
Cons of Using Landing Page Menus
However, navigation menus also come with some potential drawbacks when used on landing pages:
They can distract visitors from completing the main conversion goal you want them to achieve. Extra links may divert their focus.
Navigation links take up prime real estate on the page. They use up space that could be used for your headline, copy, images, etc.
Too many navigation options may overwhelm visitors. Keeping choices limited prevents analysis paralysis.
Visitors may end up clicking on navigation links and leaving the page rather than converting. More links = more opportunities to exit.
For targeted, single-purpose landing pages, navigation can make the page seem more general than it really is.
Additional links may clutter up the design and make the page feel chaotic or busy.
If your navigation links to unrelated pages, it interrupts the logical flow you want visitors to follow.
The core problem navigation poses is that it encourages visitors to leave your page rather than converting. So if conversions are the goal, navigation can work against you.
However, there are smart ways to implement navigation to minimize the drawbacks. It’s about finding the right balance for each situation.
When Should You Use Navigation on Your Landing Page?
So when does it make sense to use navigation menus on your landing pages?
Some of the best cases for including navigation on a landing page:
When you have a complex sales funnel or multi-step process. Navigation allows visitors to easily move between each page in the funnel.
If you have lots of in-depth content, like guides or documentation, that you want people to explore. Navigation provides the mapping.
For branded company or product landing pages. Visitors will expect to see links to your standard site sections like “About” and “Contact”.
If you have a very extensive site architecture. Navigation helps connect all the dots.
When you need to link to separate support or help documentation from a landing page.
When you have additional offers closely related to the landing page offer that you want to cross-link to.
For landing pages that are the main entry point for an entire subsection of your website.
So in general, if your landing page is directly integrated with the rest of your site content, some navigation can make sense and may even be necessary.
But for shorter, more focused landing pages with a single call-to-action, limiting navigation is often best.
Navigation Links Kill Your Conversions: Is It True?
You may have heard some landing page experts claim that any navigation links will kill your conversions. So is this true? Will navigation menus definitely hurt your results?
In some cases, yes, navigation links can absolutely damage conversion rates.
Here’s why:
More links mean more chances for visitors to click away rather than converting. Especially problematic on short, targeted pages.
Navigation gives the impression there is something more important than your CTA. This reduces its prominence.
Too many links can distract and overwhelm visitors, diverting their focus.
For example, on a lead gen landing page for an ebook, you typically want to limit options to get visitors to convert. Navigation links to your blog or pricing pages draw attention away from the lead form.
However, minimal navigation doesn’t work on every page. For more sophisticated funnels or content sites, some navigation is necessary and even useful.
So while navigation can hurt conversion rates in many scenarios, it isn’t universally true. Well-designed menus won’t necessarily kill conversions. But poor navigation can definitely be damaging.
The key is understanding when to limit links to increase focus versus when they help create a seamless site experience. Testing will reveal the best navigation approach for each page.
Navigation Menus on Mobile Devices
With the majority of web traffic now coming from mobile devices, making sure your navigation menus work on smartphones is critical. Mobile brings some unique navigation considerations.
On the desktop, there is ample room for full horizontal navigation bars. But on small mobile screens, long navbars take up too much valuable space.
Instead, effective mobile navigation often uses:
Accordions or “hamburger” menus that toggle open and closed. These conserve space.
Dropdown menus that open on click or tap to reveal submenu links.
Tabs for broader sites, allowing navigation between sections in a small footprint.
Minimal footer navigation with just essential site-wide links.
Toggle buttons to open and close mobile navigation panels from the left or right side.
Bigger tap targets and spacing out links for fat finger-friendly usability.
Responsive design to adapt the navigation format dynamically across screen sizes.
Streamlined link labels to avoid unnecessarily long menu items.
In some cases, linking key sections directly in the main body copy rather than through a dedicated menu can improve navigation experience on small mobile screens.
The goal is to strike the right balance – enough navigation for usability but presented compactly and attractively for mobile visitors. Testing navigation on real devices is important.
Tips on Creating a Landing Page WITHOUT Navigation
If you decide navigation menus don’t make sense for a particular landing page, there are techniques you can use to design an effective page without them:
Keep it simple. Have one single call-to-action button above the fold so it catches visitors’ attention immediately.
Use images, custom illustrations, videos, or other multimedia instead of navigation links to fill space on the page.
Include back links to your website’s home page and other key sections near the bottom. But don’t make it overcrowded.
Create separate, dedicated landing pages for each offer or campaign rather than trying to fit them all navigable in one place.
Write short paragraphs in an easy-scanning format vs. long blocks of text since navigation won’t allow skimming ahead.
If useful, add anchor links to different sections further down the long page for internal navigation.
Make sure you provide an email, contact form, or other way for visitors to ask questions without navigation.
Carefully organize any supporting information under clear headings so visitors can find details.
Add breadcrumbs linking back to previous pages if the landing page fits into a broader funnel.
Removing all navigation requires paying more attention to clarity, findability, and user experience on the page itself. But for some pages, pared-back simplicity converts.
Tips on Creating a Landing Page WITH Navigation
If you determine that navigation makes sense for a particular landing page, here are some tips on implementing it effectively:
Make sure your primary CTA and supporting images/text are above the fold so they are prominent before visitors see navigation.
Limit navigation links to just the most important 4-6 pages you want visitors to consider. Too many can be overwhelming.
Use clear, descriptive link labels that indicate what each page is about. Don’t make visitors guess.
Test putting your navigation menu in different placements like the top, side, footer or even in a mobile-friendly dropdown.
Make sure the design visually separates the navigation from your headline/CTA so there is no confusion about what is most important.
If you have enough pages to organize navigation into sections, make sure they are logically grouped.
Stylistically, make your navigation menu blend well with your overall site branding and aesthetic.
Consider using breadcrumbs in addition to main navigation to help visitors understand their position in a funnel.
Keep navigation formatting consistent across device types so it’s recognizable as visitors switch from desktop to mobile.
For mobile, expand tap targets and space out links appropriately to account for fat fingers.
If your site uses mega menus, make sure they function properly on mobile screens.
With some strategic design choices, you can have effective navigation without distracting from your landing page goals. Testing different approaches is key to finding what works.
Testing Navigation Menus on Your Landing Page
Given the potential pros and cons, how do you determine the right navigation approach for each landing page? Testing.
Some tips on testing navigation menus on your landing page:
Create A/B test variations of each landing page, one with a navigation menu and one without. Send approximately equal traffic to each and compare conversion rates.
Test different navigational link placements like horizontal top bars versus left vertical sidebars. See if placement impacts conversions.
Play around with different formatting for menus, like text vs icons, to determine what style best fits your brand.
Try adding and removing categories from your navigation and see how it affects user behavior and conversions.
Test the specific types of links you include. For example, try adding “Contact” or “Free Trial” links if relevant.
For mobile, test dropdown menus vs off-canvas slide-out navigation to see which better suits your goals.
If using mega menus, test how they impact site usage compared to simpler navigation options.
Look at analytics to see which navigation links get the most clicks and where visitors go after clicking each one.
Survey visitors or conduct user tests to get direct feedback on whether your navigation helps or hinders their experience.
Optimizing navigation for each page takes testing. Be sure to keep the overall site experience in mind, not just individual landing pages. Find the right balance between simplicity and necessary navigation.
Additional Things To Consider
Here are some additional tips when implementing navigation menus on your landing pages:
Make sure your navigation menu styling fits with your overall site aesthetic and branding. Consistent look and feel is key.
Consider adding a search function in the navigation bar for sites with extensive content. Helps visitors easily find specific information.
If you have logged in users, consider personalizing navigation links based on their history and interests.
Follow best practices for web accessibility. Use proper semantics, color contrast, keyboard controls, screen reader compatibility, etc.
Keep navigation menus up-to-date if your site structure changes. Don’t leave dead links.
Use descriptive hover states and underlining to indicate clickable links clearly.
Minimize ambiguous link names like “Click Here” or overused ones like “Homepage”. Be clear and unique.
For multilingual sites, allow switching between translated content via the navigation menu.
If your site uses banners or overlays, ensure navigation remains visible and usable.
Use analytics to identify frequently visited but hard-to-find pages that may need improved navigation.
Navigation works best paired with great site architecture and information hierarchy.
Periodically re-evaluate your navigation against site goals as things evolve over time.
Keeping these additional tips in mind will help you implement effective, user-friendly navigation suited to your specific site and audience needs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are answers to some common questions about using navigation menus on landing pages:
Q: Where is the best place to put navigation on a landing page?
A: The top is most common, but sidebars and footers can also work. Test different placements to see what best fits your site goals and layout.
Q: How many links should you include in landing page navigation?
A: Limit to 4-6 of the most important pages. Too many links creates clutter and distraction.
Q: Should a landing page have the same navigation as the rest of your site?
A: Not always. You may want to simplify navigation on targeted landing pages vs. including full site navigation.
Q: Is dropdown navigation good for my landing page?
A: It can be on a desktop. For mobile, dropdowns conserve space but can be tricky to use. Test if they make sense.
Q: Can I use hamburger menus for landing page navigation on mobile?
A: Yes, they are commonly used. Just follow best practices for tapping to open/close and link labeling.
Q: Is mega menu navigation helpful on a landing page?
A: Only if you have a very large, complex site. Often mega menus are overkill on landing pages.
Q: Should I do A/B testing on landing page navigation?
A: Yes, testing different approaches is the only way to know what works best for improving conversions.
Q: If I have no navigation, how do people navigate my site?
A: Include key site links in page copy. Or use layered pages with clear hierarchical flow between steps.
Key Takeaways & Conclusion
Let’s recap the key takeaways from this overview of landing page navigation best practices:
Navigation menus allow easy movement between site pages, but can also distract from conversions. Evaluate their pros and cons for each scenario.
Limit navigation on targeted landing pages focused on a single conversion goal. But include navigation when linking related content pages.
Well-designed navigation enhances user experience, while poorly organized menus hinder it. Follow best practices for placement, formatting and labeling.
Test both including and removing navigation menus to see which option best improves conversion rates for each landing page.
For mobile, use responsive navigation like hamburger menus or dropdowns to conserve space on small screens. Prioritize simplicity.
Navigation is one piece of the puzzle. Optimize page copy, layout, CTAs, and design in conjunction with site architecture.
In conclusion, thoughtfully adding navigation to your landing pages can provide helpful wayfinding in many cases. But used ineffectively, it can damage conversions.
Test different approaches to find the right balance for each page and campaign. Remove all distractions from your CTA while still guiding visitors seamlessly through your content.
With strategic navigation optimized for your goals, you can remove friction from the visitor journey while driving results from every landing page.
