Businesses aspire to have websites that boost sales and foster user interaction, but achieving this goal is often challenging. Issues may arise from excessive calls to action and buttons that say “click me”, to the use of poorly matched colors.
Errors in website navigation are the usual suspects. If you find your website somewhat perplexing or hard to navigate, chances are you are losing potential customers. 94% of consumers prefer user-friendly websites, and may turn to other options if yours is not up to par. Advocating for better website layouts benefits both the business and the brand’s image. Here are some suggestions to enhance poor website navigation and chart a course toward success.
Begin With a Uniform Approach
A practical and systematic approach to website design is essential for enhancing navigation. Organizing your website into clear categories and subcategories above the landing page is more effective than creating a lengthy menu.
Users prefer a straightforward organizational structure that allows them to locate information quickly, without navigating multiple pages and sections. When visitors browse a website, they typically seek specific services or information. According to a recent survey, 62% of respondents identified a “contact us” section as the most vital website feature for businesses.
Is your website’s contact page easily accessible or buried within its layout? Customers may leave your site if key pages are hard to find due to poor navigation. Avoid losing customers due to confusion by considering a reorganization and simplification.
Utilize Your Footer for Easy Access Links
Visitors often seek information from your site within moments, and sometimes seconds. They will likely scroll down to the bottom of your homepage to locate the required link if they are in a rush. A practical suggestion is to place the key links for your site at the page’s bottom. This allows users to swiftly navigate to the main sections without needing to scroll back up.
For instance, a visitor browsing your site might seek details on contacting customer service. Upon reaching the webpage’s bottom, they will likely find the primary link to customer service. From there, they can easily click the link to access customer service and address their concerns. You can use trade-in software to implement trade-in and buyback programs across any category.
Utilize Colors to Simplify Navigation
Poor website navigation often stems from ineffective use of color. Thoughtfully selecting and applying the right colors can greatly enhance a user’s navigation experience. Colors act as visual cues for visitors as they explore the site. For instance, using vibrant colors can help users easily spot key areas of a webpage, like contact buttons.
While blue is commonly seen as the “safest” color for websites, don’t hesitate to improve navigation by highlighting certain buttons with brighter, more vivid colors. A bold orange button labeled “sign up!” or another important action is difficult for a customer to overlook.
Speed Up Your Site
Slow-loading websites result in a yearly revenue loss of $2.6 billion. Failure to load your site promptly may lead to missed sales opportunities. However, by enhancing your site’s load time through web design, you can increase sales for your business.
Check your site’s current load time by entering your URL into Google PageSpeed Insights. If your site falls short, consider implementing Google’s recommendations to boost loading speed. Alternatively, consider enlisting page speed services from a digital marketing agency if you lack the expertise or time to enhance your site’s design.
Explore an Alternative Approach for Mobile Websites
Over half of global web traffic comes from mobile users, surpassing desktop visitors in 2015. In 2019, smartphones represented 64% of all eCommerce site visits worldwide. Mobile web traffic has remained steady at around 50% since 2017 and is unlikely to decrease.
Your mobile site must mirror the desktop version in terms of user experience. Yet, overlooking the vast mobile user demographic would be short-sighted. Implement specific optimizations and mobile-friendly structures to cater to mobile users effectively.
Features like drop-down menus and condensed pages help save space on smaller screens, making your site more mobile-friendly. While you can mirror the desktop experience, adjustments should be made to enhance the mobile user experience.
Avoid the Back Button
It’s great for a website’s visitors to choose to use their browser’s “back” button to browse the site, but it’s not ideal to make it mandatory. If your site’s navigation relies on the back button to leave crucial pages, promptly consider a different design strategy. Sometimes, a straightforward solution is to add a consistent, fully functional navigation bar to all pages and subpages.
Endnote
Ensuring your website design is effective is vital for your business. You aim for users to have a pleasant experience on your site, avoiding frustration or confusion. Enhancing your site’s overall navigation helps lower bounce rates and keeps mobile users engaged.
