3 Ways to Optimize Your Site Navigation and Make Your Sales Skyrocket!
Studies show that well-planned navigation can help boost your sales by more than 50%!
Your navigation should be structured with only one thought in mind: making it easy for your visitors to
find information and buy your product or service. You have to make sure your customers are guided toward the action you want them to take, whether it's signing up for an opt-in offer, filling out a survey, or making an actual purchase.
The better your site is at helping visitors find the information they're seeking, the more likely it is that they'll view extra pages and return for another visit.
1. Streamline Your Architecture
Your web site should contain as few pages as possible. Web sites that have a lot of pages can quickly become a tangled mess if they're not well designed.
Believe it or not, studies show that 30% to 60% of visitors drop off with every click they're made to take! The deeper visitors have to dig to find what they're looking for, the less likely they are to stick around and see what your site has to offer.
2. Standardize Your Navigation Menu
Your navigation HAS to be consistent! Navigation features exist to help your visitors figure out how to get around on your site. You don't want to make this difficult for them. Otherwise, you'll lose far too many potential customers.
Make sure your menu is located in the same place on every page of your site
Your menu should be instantly recognizable to your visitors, with the same buttons, size, and color on every page.
The menu should be placed across the top or along the left side of the page. Those are the first places people look when seeking information. Whether you choose top navigation or a left-side menu depends on what kind of web site you have.
Keep your navigation menu as simple as possible.
Also be sure to include a direct call to action in your navigation whenever possible. Tell your visitors exactly what you want them to do. For example, if you want them to learn more about your product, include a call to action like this:
Learn more about Product X!
This encourages visitors to click through to another page to read more information your product.
3. Cater to Your Customers
In order for your web site to turn visitors into buying customers, it has to cater to their needs. Focus on what your potential customers want and make sure they can easily locate it on your site.
Help them find what they're looking for
Cater to browsers and searchers
Online shoppers fall into two general groups: browsers, who like to explore and click on links that take them deeper into a site, and searchers, who would rather focus on the specific item they're looking for. Do what you can to cater to both types.
If your site has a lot of pages, consider adding a search function to make it easy for people to find what they're looking for.
Consider adding a table of contents
If your site is large, consider adding a table of contents (organized alphabetically or by topic) or a site map that features links to all your site pages. This should be clearly accessible from every page on your site. That way, if visitors want to find out whether your site includes certain information, they have an easy reference tool at their disposal.
Final Thoughts
Always organize your navigation with your customers in mind. It should be easy for them to find what they're looking for. Keep your navigation menu consistent on all pages, and include a clear and obvious link back to the home page on every page, so your visitors don't get lost.
Above all, make sure it's easy for visitors to buy your products or services!
Your navigation should guide your visitors toward the action you want them to take, whether it's signing up for an opt-in offer or making a purchase. And, if a link takes visitors off your site, make sure the new page opens in a separate window so visitors can easily get back to your site.
Remember, navigation isn't the same thing as design. Your site may look really great, but if it isn't easy for people to find what they're looking for, you're losing potential sales guaranteed.There are more than a
