Hello. I’m one of your coveted website users and I have a secret to share with you: I still use a desktop! (*gasp*) Please, I beg you, stop punishing me for not always browsing the web on a mobile device.
If I’m viewing your website on a large screen, show me the navigation. Don’t hide essential links behind a hamburger icon on my 27-inch iMac; there’s no need and you’re requiring an extra click for me to use your website. Furthermore, navigation is a small but useful clue that helps users quickly recognize the purpose of a given website. For example, if your main navigation contains a “Store” link, I can generally assume you have products for sale. This is valuable information that should not be hidden and required to dig for when there is ample room to display it.
As the mobile web audience grows at an incredible rate, web designers have diligently and impressively crafted new techniques (e.g. Responsive Web Design). “Mobile first” is the new way of thinking, and rightfully so. However, let’s remember that the goal should be to accommodate as many devices as possible and that includes your old friend, the desktop.