In plain English
Logo, navigation, and usually a contact route or a primary action. It appears on every page, which makes it the most-seen element on the site.
Because it is seen everywhere, small header decisions have outsized effects. A phone number that is not tappable on mobile costs enquiries on every page at once.
What to know
On every page
The most-seen element.
Holds navigation
And usually one primary action.
A template part
Edited once in block themes.
Mobile matters most
Where space is scarcest.
Why it matters
The header is where the highest-leverage small fixes live: a clear primary action, a tappable phone number, and navigation labels that describe what the pages contain.
Common mistakes
×Too many navigation items to scan.
×No visible contact route.
×Sticky headers consuming half a mobile screen.
×Navigation labels using internal terminology.
FAQs
How many navigation items should a header have?
Five to seven. More than that and nobody reads them.
Should the header be sticky?
Only if it stays small. On mobile it competes with the content.
WRITTEN BY TARIQ SALLAM
Marketing Consultant. Entrepreneur. Content Creator.
I'm a marketing consultant, entrepreneur and content creator. I help businesses grow through practical marketing, websites, SEO, content and AI.
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