11 Navigation Tips for For Successful Websites
There is no limit to the
quality of your navigation - there is no risk that it is too complete, too
direct or too fast. Even if the navigation of your website is already good,
these 11 best mentioned below browsing practices on the website below can make
it even better. These tips are being followed by many ecommerce
website development companies in India are following nowadays.
.Hide
the Search Input Field for Saving Space
Your top navigation bar
can fill up quickly, especially if you have a lot of pages. Save space by
hiding the search entry behind a magnifying glass icon. If your website does
not have a lot of content, most users will not need the search function, and if
they do, the magnifying glass icon is sufficiently recognizable as a guide.
Default Design:
State when clicked on
Search icon:
- Using
Sticky Navigation for Websites with Long or Infinite Scrolling
As a result of the rise
of mobile browsing and social media sites, long-scrolling and even single-page
sites have become more popular. Unfortunately, the natural disadvantage of this
style is disorientation and bad navigation.
A quick and easy
solution is sticky navigation - a menu or bar that stays in the same place
throughout the scroll, usually the top or bottom of the screen. This gives
users the control they want when browsing, which gives them more confidence to
explore.
If a sticky navigation
menu takes up too much space, try a simple "Jump-to" section icon, or
at least a "Return to Top" option, also permanently on the screen.
Because these are always
present, try to make them as small as possible, but still noticeable.
- Using
Animation to Draw Attention to Shrinking Menus
Hidden menus like
drawers and the controversial hamburger menu help conserve screen space without
limiting the user's options. You can increase their efficiency and improve
overall usability with intelligent animation.
Consider browsing for
the website of the Greek jeweler Nikos Koulis above. It is easy to forget the
navigation menu with the overall minimalist aesthetic, not to mention that the
star product carousel dominates almost the entire screen. The left slide-side
reminds users where the main pages are if they need it, without disturbing the
minimal style.
The choice of slow and
graceful animation even reinforces the mood and identity of the brand. In
general, the animation is perfect for displaying ease of use: in hover, the
hamburger icon becomes a slash to show clickability, and when clicked becomes
an X to show activation.
Using an animation like
this is particularly useful for mobile sites, where screen space is always
limited. Try to open the site with the prominent navigation menu, then
automatically shrink it to one side or corner, with a flashy animation to show
users where it will be if they need it.
- Amount
of Content Should Determine the Menu Type for Navigation
No single type of
navigation menu will work for all sites, so do not do what everyone else does.
The amount of content should determine the navigation style. Websites with little
content, up to about 6 pages, can get away with a single navigation bar, where
all text links on the page can be visible at the same time. Hidden
navigation options can keep even more space.
But websites with a
large amount of content, such as e-commerce sites, do not have this option. If
these sites want a navigation bar, they should implement a mega-menu. These
expansive drop-down lists list all the options / pages for the user but remain
hidden until they are enabled to avoid overwhelming the user and displaying
options they do not need.
Another alternative for
larger sites is to have a foldable vertical menu. Vertical menus allow more
input than horizontal menus in a more compact space and can be removed on
either side when needed to save space.
- Use
of Obvious Signifiers
The navigation menu is
not the place to be creative - there are too many things to risk. Avoid
confusion by using accepted standard formats: a magnifying glass for searching,
an icon for hidden menus, and so on. You can always stand out in other areas.
Even novice Twitter
users can guess the meaning of the icons, especially the familiar ellipses icon
for more information.
- Give
Animations of 200-300 ms, for Slideouts
One of the main goals of
animations is to smooth out otherwise discordant transitions. For slides,
drop-down lists, and all other appearances in menus, use an animation of 200 to
300 ms. It's slow enough not to look steep, but fast enough for the user to
always have direct control of the interface.
- Promoting
the Search Bar By Placing it in the Center or Upper-Left
The search bar is used
more frequently for sites like Facebook or Twitter, where users often need to
find a person (or a hashtag) on millions. Sites like these can make the process
easier by placing the search bar on the left or in the middle of a top
navigation menu.
This right may be the
accepted standard for search bars, but if you have (or want) an increase in
search activity, try a more visible location to the left.
- Setting
Off Popup Menus with Contrast, Shadows, or Fades
The context menus should
appear. You need to differentiate them from the rest of the content and make
them more visible, but sometimes a thick border is not enough. The best
strategies for this are shadows, color contrast and fades.
The least intrusive is
the shadow. A slight shadow on the content can be enough to go around, and fits
perfectly into the principle of superposition of Material Design.
For even more
differentiation, try to give the menu a contrasting color like the content
below. If the background of your article is white, make your menus black; it's
sure to be noticed, and there will be no confusion as to which area is the
content and which is a menu.
.
- Catering
Recommendations Based on Personalized Data
The customization becomes
more and more relevant to the users, so do not neglect it. The page
recommendations are an excellent balance between what the user wants to see and
what the company wants it to see - but only if it is done with care.
Draw on personalization
data such as past purchases or previously viewed pages to refine your users'
recommendations. You can even spark specific preferences by asking them
directly when they sign up or create a profile.
If you do not have
enough customization data for the recommendations, use a related content
feature. The common tags among the different parts of the content allow the
designers to organize the interests of the users, and you can check this with
the behaviors of previous users.
- Suggesting
Next Steps When Users Complete Their Task
After completing a task,
there is a time when users do not really know what to do next. Give them a hand
by suggesting one or more of the following steps. Have they just finished
creating a profile? Provide a link that allows them to find friends.
Particularly useful at
the beginning of the integration when the user does not know the interface, the
following steps eliminate these moments of uncertainty or seek what to do. It
is the responsibility of the designer to ensure that the user knows how to use the
interface to do what he wants.
The following Message /
Product function should work in the same way. For sites that display many items
or products, each window should have an option that leads to the next (and
previous) item. This allows the user to create a rhythm with his navigation,
and increases the likelihood that he will find what he is looking for.
- Enabling
Recent History
Web browsing does not
move in one direction. A recent history feature allows users to go back, make a
mistake, or need to re-examine previously viewed content.
This is particularly
useful for e-commerce sites because it allows for comparative shopping.
Switching between two or more products increases the chances that the user will
be satisfied with their purchase and gives them more control than they will
appreciate.
Wrapping Up:
I hope this article
provide you insight about complete information about ecommerce navigation. If
you are looking for ecommerce web app development company in India, we
can be the best option for you. Feel free to contact us today.
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