As you start the journey of designing or redesigning your dance studio’s website, take a moment to consider an essential element – your navigation bar. You can think of it as a compass guiding your visitors through your studio’s online world, helping them find the information they need swiftly and effortlessly.
In fact, a well-designed nav bar can be the difference between keeping a prospect engaged and moving towards enrolling for classes, or… visitors exiting stage left. With that in mind, here’s a quickie guide to help you craft effective website navigation for your dance studio’s website.
Keep it Simple:
Use clear and concise labels on your navigation bar, and avoid using technical terms or jargon. For dance studios, that means staying away from using branded dance program or comp team names on your nav bar.
Is your pre-school program called Twinkle Stars? Obviously that’s fine, but on your navigation bar, call the tab Pre-School Dance. You can use the Twinkle Stars name prominently on the Pre-School Dance webpage, but it’s best not do so on your nav bar. Parents of pre-schoolers will find it much easier to find what they’re looking for!
Use a Consistent Navigation Structure:
Make sure your nav bar is consistent across all pages of your website to make it easy for visitors to find what they’re looking for. This uniformity will make prospects comfortable moving around your studio’s website (and more likely to stay longer on it).
Use a Clear Hierarchy:
If you have more than six or so pages, put the most important items at the top level, with less critical items tucked neatly beneath in drop-down menus. This hierarchy will help your dance families and prospects swiftly spot and access what they need.
Organize With Drop-Down Menus:
On a related note, embrace drop-down menus for organizing and grouping related items. Doing this allows your website visitors to quickly access different sections of your dance studio’s website.
For example, a common section on dance studio websites is “About the Studio”. “About the Studio” would be the main navigation bar tab, under which you’d see pages such as “Studio History”, “Faculty & Staff”, and “Studio Facilities”.
Test Your Navigation:
It’s a smart move to test your navigation with different users to ensure it’s easy to use and understand. Optimally, you’ll test with one or two people connected with the studio, and also one or two not connected with the studio. The latter will let you know if something isn’t clear to the eyes of a newbie.
Keep It Up To Date:
As your programs and dance offerings change, remove and add navigation bar links as needed in order to reflect those changes. This will ensure your dance studio’s website remains relevant, properly representing your studio as it evolves.
By following these guidelines, you can ensure your website’s navigation bar is intuitive and user-friendly, making it easy for potential students and their families find the information they need quickly and easily.
Best wishes to you and your studio!
Stacey