Home & Landing
Testing a Sticky Section Menu on a Long Landing Page
A fixed section menu on a long page may help visitors reach the information they need sooner. Because it uses screen space, it should not crowd out the main content, especially on mobile.
A/B test scenario. This page is a test plan, not the result of a real experiment.
- Home & landing
- Primary action completion rate
Control vs Variant
Absent on one side, present on the other.
- Changed
- Presence
- Page
- Home & landing
- Difference
- added
Hypothesis
If a long page gets a section menu that stays fixed while visitors scroll, they may reach the section they want without scrolling through everything else. Less hunting could lift the primary action completion rate, though the effect could reverse if the menu crowds the main content on mobile.
Test plan
When to run this test
Visitors who cannot find what they need on a long page leave a trail: repeated up-and-down scrolling in session recordings, exits before certain sections are reached, and support requests about questions the page already answers. With the menu in place, visitors should reach the section they need sooner and move from there to the primary action. If the problem lies in the content of the sections, a menu will not fix it, so review the content first, and confirm before launch that the menu works with a keyboard.
How to measure success
Primary action completion rate
Compare whether adding navigation changes completion of the target action.
Also track
- Navigation usage rateCheck whether visitors use the links.
- Section visibilityMeasure actual visibility; jumping to a section does not show that intervening content was read.
- Time to reach a target sectionIf the task is known, measure time to the predefined section; do not infer intent from every jump.
- Page exit rateCheck whether exits after jumping to one section increase.
How to set it up
- NavigationAdd one fixed navigation element linked to existing sections.
- Keep constantKeep section names, order, content and CTA unchanged.
- DestinationKeep the heading of the destination section visible.
- MobileLeave enough space for the main content on mobile.
- Separate testA sticky table of contents or new section labels is a separate comparison.
What to watch when reading the result
- 1Do not dismiss the menu because the navigation usage rate stays low; it may be critical for visitors who arrive with a specific need. What decides the result is the primary action completion rate, and if exits after a single jump rise while actions stay flat, do not ship it.
- 2Read mobile and desktop separately; if the menu takes up enough space on mobile to squeeze the content, a desktop gain can hide that loss. Keep in mind that jumping to a section does not show the content in between was read, and that the result applies to this page's length and section structure.
- 3When the difference is small, check time to reach a target section, but do not read intent into every jump. Because only part of the audience may use the menu, the overall difference can take a while to show; get the visitors needed per arm from the sample size calculator. Divide that by daily visitors per arm to decide up front how long the test stays open.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should low use mean section navigation is removed?
No. An infrequent shortcut can serve an important task. Use completed main actions as the primary outcome and monitor visits that end immediately after a jump.
What mobile risk comes from sticky section navigation?
It reduces content space and may cover headings or controls. Check the occupied area and scroll destinations rather than allowing the navigation to dominate the screen.
Does jumping to a section establish that intervening content was read?
No. Measure actual section exposure and relevant task time. Preserve keyboard navigation, and do not infer intent from a jump alone.
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