When are drop-down menus really necessary?

1. When should you use a drop-down menu?
2. Under what circumstances would you use a drop-down menu vs a tab menu?
3. What is the point of a drop down?
4. Why should you avoid drop-down menus on navigation?

When should you use a drop-down menu?

Offering drop-down menus can help users avoid scrolling and can quickly get them access to your site's content. For large websites, drop-down menus can save users time by allowing them to jump down a level or two to get to the content they seek.

Under what circumstances would you use a drop-down menu vs a tab menu?

Tabs are good when you have content that is different in each section. Drop downs are good for selecting a variable in one field.

What is the point of a drop down?

A drop-down list (abbreviated drop-down, or DDL; also known as a drop-down menu, drop menu, pull-down list, picklist) is a graphical control element, similar to a list box, that allows the user to choose one value from a list.

Why should you avoid drop-down menus on navigation?

Drop-downs can sometimes render a website unusable on an iPhone or Blackberry and can also make life difficult on iPads. Drop-down menus can also encourage "navigation creep" in which the website owners keep adding more and more menu options simply because they can.