Online store: how to ensure that the product is displayed and not confused in navigation?

A person walks along a path and after a while notices that everything is in similar colors, there are identical turns to the left and right, with each step it becomes harder to move, and the desire to go further decreases. He realizes that he is in a labyrinth and wants to go back, but everything is so similar and vague.

The plot of some detective story or a bad dream, you guess? Bad site navigation! This article will help you avoid such a situation, adapt the online resource to customers and pay attention to some nuances.

Logical structure

This is the frame that everything will be supported on and it all depends on how strong you design it. Think carefully about the structure, for clarity, first display it in a special editor or at least on paper! The main thing here is to understand the scale. Highlight the main categories and the entire hierarchy of subcategories. Can you fit it all into the main navigation and name all the headings one word at a time?

Keep the standard common names. If this is a section with skateboards, then you shouldn’t write “8 mm boards on two wheels.” We are exaggerating, but sometimes companies, in the pursuit of originality, forget that users come to their sites to solve a problem and fill a need.

Sometimes, for difficulties to arise in acquisition, it is enough that a person may not initially understand the topic. The client wants to complete this purchase because... added to the list of new hobbies or wants to give someone a gift. He already doesn’t know how a skate differs from a longboard or a penny board, and you’re making it even more difficult for him. This is especially common in difficult niches, such as metalworking, real estate sales, construction, etc.

Mysterious Search

A site visitor may not be interested in how Sherlock Holmes uses a magnifying glass to search for each category using the deductive method! Prevent this from happening.

Use advanced smart search rather than regular search. Nobody wants to enter the entire model name or even change the language layout on the keyboard. It is better to implement the field itself externally as standard with an icon and signature; apply originality in the design of other blocks. Everything should be intuitive. Regularly check the functionality of the search, for example, after each engine update or the introduction of an additional module in order to timely detect software conflicts.

Filtration

It will simplify your search in any application. For example, a filter by color will be important in clothing stores, online construction stores, sports equipment catalogs, and so on. Choosing a cost will be useful in any niche. The user will indicate a price range that matches his budget and thereby saves time. Entering the price manually may be more convenient than moving the number slider, so leave both of these functions.

Place the filter block at the top of the page or to the side. The second option is more convenient if there are a lot of items. If there is no automatic loading, which helps not to repeat the search for the desired thing again after selecting a new option, then there must be an “apply” button after the list of checkboxes.

Laconic menu

If, while working on the site every day, you yourself do not immediately navigate the structure and to find a section you need time to “poke” with the mouse, then this is an alarm bell!

Navigation is one of the main parts that helps the user find the desired item or perform another action. If there are a lot of categories and they do not fit into the “main”, then do not neglect the additional option of moving through subcategories. Set the settings for positioning, background, font and its color, speed of appearance of items, additional effects, etc.

Don't use title dropdown on hover if there are too many sections, rows shouldn't overlap each other. Configure the heading hover option so that the user can select the desired subsection.

The most frequently used menu options are: accordion, tiles, drop-down, static, hamburger (not because of the lettuce and sesame bun), sidebar, multi-level, tabs. You should not combine everything, as you will completely confuse the site visitor! Use one primary and one secondary way to navigate between pages.

For example, the accordion menu is often used in the banking and automotive industries. If you choose a static version that is fixed at the top of the page when scrolling, then be careful: the font should be easy to read next to other blocks when scrolling.

Cart

The key to success is a convenient location of the basket. Place it on the page in a classic way. Create a convenient design and the ability to quickly preview. Photos on the category page and at the time of order must be displayed the same! Because there is a possibility that the client will not recognize what he wanted to buy externally from a different angle and will delete it. This also applies to names, cost, size, dimensions, and the ability to go back to the card.

Implement a block with favorites, some people need time to decide that they need this item or want to compare it with analogues from other manufacturers. Not everyone would like to search for the same thing again when visiting a site again. It should also be noticeable that when you click on the button, the product is added to your favorites and cart, highlighted in some color, or a pop-up window appears.

Finish line

The user completed the entire quest and added the item to the cart! But that’s not all, the stage of placing an order has come and then it turns out that it was only on pre-order with a wait of several weeks?

To avoid such disappointments, provide detailed information about availability in the product card or in the availability line. There is no point in inventing new required fields if they do not simplify the interaction between the client and the site. For example, why enter a home address right now if a person wants to pick up a delivery from a collection point?

And help you create a cool online store with a convenient design where they will want to buy absolutely everything, our specialists can!