The navigation menu helps visitors easily find key pages on your site. Learn how to create and manage your navigation links to improve user experience. Log in at https://editor.smarthotel.nl to start customizing.
What is a Navigation Menu?
A navigation menu is a key element of your website that helps visitors quickly find the pages and information they need. It typically includes links to your main site pages and can also include sub-navigation (dropdown) links for more detailed categories or pages. A well-structured navigation menu improves the user experience and keeps visitors engaged with your content.
You can easily add and customize your navigation menu using the SmartHOTEL Editor. Log in at https://editor.smarthotel.nl to start customizing.
Adding a Navigation Menu to Your Website
To add a new Navigation Links widget to your site:
- In the left panel, click Widgets.
- Click and drag the Navigation Links widget into the desired location on your site.
- This widget automatically generates a navigation menu that links to all your site’s pages or allows you to create a custom menu with specific links.
Note: You can create up to 3 levels of navigation, including sub-navigation links.
Customizing Your Navigation Menu
Once the navigation widget is added, you can customize its content and design to fit your site’s needs.
Content Editor
To edit the content of the navigation menu:
- Right-click the Navigation Links widget and click Edit Content.
- Choose from two options to populate your navigation links:
- Site Pages: Automatically generate a menu that includes all the pages, navigation folders, and anchors on your site.
- Custom Links: Create a custom menu with links to specific internal or external pages, social media accounts, or anchors.
If you choose Custom Links, you can manually add links to pages, folders, or other websites to tailor the navigation to your needs.
Design Editor
To edit the design of your navigation menu:
- Right-click the widget and select Edit Design.
- In the Layout tab, you can:
- Choose the orientation and layout of the navigation.
- Customize the layout for both the main navigation and any sub-pages.
- In the Link Style section, you can:
- Adjust the background color, spacing between items, and set divider styles for your links.
- Customize the font and style of the navigation text.
- In the Selected Page & Hover tab, you can:
- Choose effects for how links appear when a page is selected or hovered over.
- Adjust the text style and effect for selected or hovered links.
- In the Subpages tab, you can:
- Customize the look of your sub-navigation links, including colors, shadows, and spacing.
Enhancing User Experience with Navigation
A well-structured navigation menu not only helps visitors find information quickly but also ensures that your site looks professional and is easy to navigate. You can further refine the navigation by using design options like custom effects for hovering or selecting pages. If you have multiple sub-pages or categories, consider using a drop-down (sub-navigation) structure to keep your menu organized and user-friendly.