Hey there, WordPress user! If you‘re looking to create a user-friendly website that helps visitors find exactly what they need, you can‘t overlook the power of a well-designed primary menu.
But what exactly is a primary menu in WordPress? How is it different from other types of menus? And what‘s the best way to set one up on your site? Don‘t worry – by the end of this ultimate guide, you‘ll be a primary menu pro. Let‘s get started!
Definition and Purpose of a Primary Menu
In WordPress, a primary menu is the main navigation menu that appears on every page of your website, usually in the header area. It contains links to your site‘s most important pages, categories, or sections. The purpose of the primary menu is to help visitors quickly understand what your site is about and access the content they‘re interested in.
Think of your primary menu like a roadmap for your website. Just like a map helps you navigate an unfamiliar city and find key locations, your primary menu guides visitors to the most crucial parts of your site. Without a clear, intuitive primary menu, visitors may get lost, frustrated, or simply leave your site without engaging with your content.
Why Primary Menus Matter
Still not convinced that optimizing your primary menu is worth the effort? Check out these eye-opening statistics:
- According to a study by the Nielsen Norman Group, users spend an average of just 10-20 seconds on a web page before leaving if they can‘t find what they‘re looking for. A confusing or incomplete primary menu contributes to higher bounce rates.
- Research by the NN Group also found that 70% of website users rely on navigation menus to orient themselves and find information. Only 30% use search boxes. Neglecting your primary menu means neglecting the majority of your visitors‘ needs.
- A case study by HubSpot found that simplifying the primary menu on a B2B website led to a 17.8% increase in conversions. Streamlining your menu can have a direct impact on your bottom line.
In short, a well-planned primary menu is essential for engaging visitors, reducing bounce rates, and achieving your website goals. So how can you harness the power of the primary menu on your WordPress site? Read on to find out.
How to Set Up a Primary Menu in WordPress
Ready to create or customize your WordPress site‘s primary menu? Follow these simple steps:
- Access the Menus Editor: In your WordPress dashboard, go to Appearance > Menus.
- Create a New Menu: If you don‘t have any menus set up yet, click the "Create a new menu" link at the top of the page. Enter a name for your menu (e.g. "Primary Menu") and click the "Create Menu" button.
- Select Menu Items: In the left column, you‘ll see a list of pages, posts, custom links, and other content on your site. Check the boxes next to the items you want to include in your primary menu, then click "Add to Menu."
- Arrange Menu Structure: The selected items will appear in the right column. Drag and drop them to change the order. To create a dropdown submenu, drag an item slightly to the right to indent it under a "parent" item.
- Assign Menu Location: Under the Menu Settings section, check the box next to "Primary Menu" to tell WordPress to display this menu in your theme‘s primary menu location.
- Save Your Changes: Click the "Save Menu" button to apply your new primary menu to your site. Visit your site‘s front end to see it in action!
Tip: WordPress lets you create multiple menus for different parts of your site. To edit a different menu, use the dropdown menu at the top of the Menus Editor to switch between your saved menus.
Primary Menu Best Practices and Optimization
Now that you know the basics of setting up a primary menu in WordPress, let‘s dive into some strategies for making your menu as effective and user-friendly as possible.
Keep It Concise
One of the biggest mistakes I see WordPress site owners make is trying to cram too many items into the primary menu. Remember, the goal is to highlight your most important content, not overwhelm visitors with dozens of links.
As a general rule, aim for no more than 7 top-level items in your primary menu. Research has shown that 7 is the magic number for information processing – any more than that, and most people struggle to remember or make sense of the options.
Of course, the exact number of menu items you include will depend on the complexity and scope of your site. But err on the side of simplicity. You can always use submenus or other navigation aids (like sidebar menus or footer links) to provide access to less crucial pages.
Prioritize Your Key Content
When deciding which items to include in your primary menu, focus on the content that matters most to your visitors and your website goals.
For most websites, this means your primary menu should include:
- Homepage
- "About" page
- Main blog or shop page
- Contact page
- Key product/service categories or landing pages
Think about why people come to your site and what actions you want them to take. Make sure those core pages are front and center in the primary menu.
Use Clear, Descriptive Labels
The text you use for each menu item should clearly communicate what the linked page is about. Avoid vague or cute labels that could confuse visitors.
For example, let‘s say you run a recipe blog. Instead of a generic "Recipes" menu item, consider breaking it down into more specific categories like:
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
- Desserts
- Vegetarian
- Quick & Easy
This level of detail helps visitors find exactly the type of content they‘re looking for and encourages deeper browsing.
It‘s also a good idea to include keywords in your menu labels for SEO purposes. But don‘t stuff them with keywords at the expense of clarity. Strike a balance between descriptive and concise.
Create Logical Menu Structure
The way you organize and arrange the items in your primary menu has a big impact on usability. You want the menu structure to feel intuitive and logical to visitors.
Here are some tips for creating a user-friendly primary menu structure:
- Place the most important items first (or last). People are most likely to notice and click on the first and last few items in a menu.
- Group related pages together into categories. For example, put all your "Shop" pages under one top-level item.
- Use dropdown submenus sparingly. Only use them for closely related child pages, not important main pages.
- Order menu items by priority, not alphabetically. Put the most relevant items first.
Look at your primary menu from a visitor‘s perspective. Does the organization make sense? Is it easy to find key pages or sections? Don‘t be afraid to rearrange the menu structure until it feels right.
Optimize for Mobile Menus
Did you know that over half of worldwide web traffic now comes from mobile devices? That means your primary menu needs to be just as easy to use on a smartphone as it is on desktop.
Most WordPress themes automatically adjust the primary menu for mobile screens, collapsing it into a "hamburger" icon ☰ that reveals the full menu when tapped. But you can take a few extra steps to ensure your mobile menu is truly optimized:
- Limit the number of menu items. Mobile menus should be even more concise than desktop versions. Consider removing less important items on mobile.
- Increase tap targets. Make sure each menu item is large enough to easily tap with a finger. Avoid tiny, crowded links.
- Test on real devices. Don‘t just rely on mobile previews. Actually open your site on a smartphone and tablet to see how the menu works.
Remember, a significant portion of your visitors will be using your primary menu on a small touchscreen. Design with them in mind.
Primary vs Secondary Menus
So far we‘ve focused on optimizing your site‘s primary menu. But what about secondary menus? How are they different, and does your site need them?
A secondary menu is a navigation menu that appears in addition to the primary menu, usually in a different location like the sidebar or footer. Secondary menus typically contain links to less essential pages that don‘t fit in the main menu.
Here are some common use cases for secondary menus:
- Legal pages like Terms of Service, Privacy Policy, Disclaimers
- Company info pages like Jobs, Press, Investor Relations
- Additional product or blog post categories
- Quick links to popular or trending content
- Social media or external site links
Basically, any navigation items that aren‘t crucial enough for the primary menu, but still helpful for visitors, can go in a secondary menu.
Not every WordPress site needs a secondary menu. It really depends on how much content you have and how you want to organize it. A small blog or business site may do just fine with a single primary menu. But larger, more complex sites can benefit from additional navigation menus to provide alternate paths to key pages.
If you do decide to use a secondary menu, make sure to style it differently than the primary menu so visitors can easily tell them apart. And don‘t let the secondary menu overshadow or compete with the primary menu. Keep the focus on that core navigation.
Examples of Effective Primary Menus
Need some real-world inspiration for your WordPress primary menu? Let‘s take a look at a few examples of sites that nail it.
Airbnb
[Screenshot of Airbnb‘s primary menu]Airbnb‘s primary menu is a great example of prioritizing key actions. The menu is short and simple, with just four main items:
- Become a Host
- Saved
- Trips
- Messages
These are the core actions Airbnb wants visitors to take. The "Become a Host" item is strategically placed first to encourage signups. And the menu is optimized for logged-in users with quick access to saved listings, trips, and messages.
Nintendo
[Screenshot of Nintendo‘s primary menu]Nintendo‘s primary menu shows how to effectively use categories to organize a wide range of products. The top-level menu items include:
- Games
- Nintendo Switch
- News & Events
- Play Nintendo
- Support
Hovering over each item reveals submenus with more specific pages related to that category. This structure makes it easy for visitors to browse Nintendo‘s extensive catalog and find the info they need.
charity: water
[Screenshot of charity: water‘s primary menu]The nonprofit charity: water uses its primary menu to funnel visitors towards key actions and information. The main menu items are:
- Our Work
- Donate
- Get Involved
- About
- Shop
Placing "Donate" in the second spot keeps the focus on the organization‘s primary goal. And the "Get Involved" item leads to a landing page with clear calls-to-action for visitors who want to support the cause.
Key Takeaways and Next Steps
Phew, that was a lot of information! Let‘s recap the main points about optimizing your WordPress site‘s primary menu:
- The primary menu is the main navigation that appears on every page, usually in the header
- An effective primary menu guides visitors to your most important content and improves engagement and conversions
- WordPress makes it easy to create and customize your primary menu using the built-in Menu Editor
- Keep the primary menu concise and focused on your top pages and categories
- Use clear labels, logical structure, and mobile-friendly design to enhance primary menu usability
- Secondary menus can be used for less essential pages in the sidebar, footer, or other theme locations
- Look to successful sites for primary menu inspiration and best practices
Now it‘s your turn. Audit your own WordPress site‘s primary menu and look for opportunities to simplify, streamline, and optimize it using the tips in this guide. A little primary menu TLC can make a huge difference in how visitors experience and interact with your site.
So go forth and create some epic menus, you WordPress wizard! And if you have any other questions about primary menus or WordPress in general, don‘t hesitate to leave a comment or reach out. Happy menu-making!