Centsbot · audit · samples · guides

Landing page navigation menu review: hamburger or visible links?

Your desktop landing page hides Pricing behind a three-line icon, or shows nine links that pull visitors away from the signup button. Either way, buyers cannot find the answer they came for. This page covers sourced data on hidden vs visible navigation, a checklist, and a $19 review that gives you 3 copy fixes within 24h.

Free observation first — not ready to pay? Send your URL and get 1 concrete observation on your page, free, no account. Request your free observation →

What the research says

Nielsen Norman Group's Hamburger Menus and Hidden Navigation Hurt UX Metrics found: "Hidden navigation is less discoverable than visible or partially visible navigation." In numbers: "On desktop, people used the hidden menus in only 27% of the cases, while they used visible or combo navigation almost twice as much: in 48% and 50% of the cases, respectively."

Its recommendations: "Do not use hidden navigation (such as hamburger icons) in desktop user interfaces." And: "If your site has 4 or fewer top-level navigation links, display them as visible links."

Checklist for your landing page navigation

On desktop, show links; keep the hamburger for phones.
Keep 4 or fewer top links: often Pricing, How it works, Log in.
Use labels buyers search for, not Solutions or Resources.
Keep one primary button in the header; see the sticky header CTA review.
Answer the rest on the page, for example in an FAQ section, instead of linking away.

Data from published usability research; check your own click data before and after.

What the $19 review gives you

We read your live page and pick the 3 gaps most likely to cost you signups. You get 3 before → after rewrites (hero, CTA, offer or proof), each with a one-line reason and a metric hypothesis you can check later, ready to paste, within 24h of 1 BTC confirmation. No call and no account. See an example deliverable (excerpt from a public sample) or browse all public samples.

Honest limits: we don't change your site code or menu structure, and we don't promise a lift. If navigation is among your 3 highest-impact gaps, the fix gives you the labels and which links to keep. For a full testing program, see audit vs CRO agency.

$19 · 3 fixes · delivered within 24h · paid in BTC

You get a BTC invoice page with address, amount, a QR code and an open-in-wallet link. Work starts once payment is seen. Not sure yet? Ask for 1 free observation on /audit.

FAQ

Should a landing page have a navigation menu?

A short one is fine; a long one competes with your main CTA. Keep the links a buyer needs to decide (pricing, how it works, log in) and drop the rest.

Is a hamburger menu bad on desktop?

Nielsen Norman Group recommends not using hidden navigation such as hamburger icons in desktop interfaces. In its testing, people used hidden menus on desktop in only 27% of cases, against 48% and 50% for visible or combo navigation.

How many links should my top navigation have?

NN/g advises that if your site has 4 or fewer top-level navigation links, display them as visible links. Most early SaaS landing pages need no more than that.

Is navigation a copy problem?

Often. Vague labels like Solutions or Resources give little information scent. Labels that match what buyers look for, like Pricing or How it works, get clicked and answer objections.

What do I receive for $19?

3 before and after rewrites for the highest-impact spots on your page (hero, CTA, offer or proof), each with a one-line reason and a metric hypothesis, ready to paste, within 24h of 1 BTC confirmation. No call and no account.

Questions: [email protected]