Navigation in E-Commerce Websites

How often have visitors landed on a website and navigate away to other websites just because they did not find information easily?

If this happens more than often, then the navigation of a website needs to be revamped. Navigation is considered to be one of the most important areas in custom website design, and also the most ignored. In such a competitive era, if a website does not dispense information quickly, it is sure to diminish through time. Having a good navigation helps stay visitors on site as they can easily access information within a few clicks and less time.

Navigation is particularly more important for an e-commerce business for selling products/goods online. If the visitors cannot find the order page easily, they will never visit the site again. They will probably even spread negative words about the e-commerce web design further harming sales. A poor navigation structure in website design does not project a professional image of a business. It is advisable to properly design the navigation and layout of your website.

Advantages offered by good website navigation:

  • Helps visitors get information quickly.
  • Boost customer satisfaction and loyalty.
  • Increased sales and revenues.
  • Improves web traffic and search engine rankings.

Before designing the navigation of a website design, one must understand the target audience thoroughly. The navigation will differ for a website that just providers information than the one that sells services or goods.

Some tips for designing navigation:

  • It is recommended to prepare a list of pages that have high importance. A website can have a section mentioning Home Page, Products, Order Products, Demo, Articles etc. These sections can be further divided as per requirements. Drop down menus can be used as these can allow customers to get information quickly.
  • In case there are shopping carts integrated with the site, make sure to show the view cart button clearly on each page. It is advisable to keep the button on top right, below the header.
  • Make use of Breadcrumbs. These help visitors in knowing their current location on a website.
  • Experts often cite the importance of ‘three click rule’ which implies that a visitor should reach a page within three clicks. The most important page, however, should be accessible with one click.
  • Ensure that all navigation elements are linked correctly and clearly using standard link conventions such as menus, changing color on mouse hover, buttons or underlining of a text. Vague names for links are prohibited.
  • If the site have downloadable items, provide the link to download and ensure that users know which application is required to open the file and also its size.
  • Site maps not only help visitors but also website in getting a higher search engine ranking. It offers a comprehensive view of the entire site, and lists every page with link.

Hire Professional Web Designer

To have an impressive website for your business, it is very important to hire web designer who has substantial knowledge and experience in designing diverse websites. Professional website designers pay much attention to the navigation and layout of your website. This increases your chances for getting maximum visibility for your business. Dedicated website designers will pay equal importance to all the elements while designing a website.