Site navigation system and features of its creation

The development of an online store always begins with a layout in the conditions of an idea. Simply put, when planning the creation of an online store, you "sketch" your ideas on " paper” and create an approximate representation of your future website. Online shopping is an extremely popular niche, in addition, it is profitable — which significantly increases competition. If we take into account that the pandemic has not yet left humanity — it becomes clear why the creation of an online store with prospects for the future is becoming more and more difficult every year. But back to the layouts and ideas.

The online store consists of many different blocks, and its development looks exactly the same. Overcoming block after block, the online store acquires an appearance, shape, corporate identity and finally is launched for promotion. Achieving results in matters of promotion is a time-consuming process, since many different details must be taken into account for success. Nevertheless, in the promotion of online stores, regardless of the niches and specifics of products, it is important to take into account three parameters that are the same for all types of Internet resources, namely, the intuitiveness of the structure, the attractiveness of the design and the quality of optimization.

You can find information about how to create a trending design for a website and why it is important to contact specialists with this question in our blog. Today we will talk about the structure of the navigation of the online store, how to create it, what types are there, and finally - and why is it necessary?

The structure and navigation of the online store and what it is

The navigation system of an online store is an integral part of any site, created to simplify the movement of the client between the pages of interest to him. The quality of the user experience and the overall customer experience of interacting with your site depends on the navigation system. In addition, the quality of navigation can affect the bounce rate if your site is inconvenient or its navigation does not meet the usual standards. It is not surprising why the navigation system is a fundamental aspect in the usability of Internet resources.

What are links in the terms of site development

Links are the main component and foundation of all Internet resources. With the help of links, you can visit a website or an online store, with the help of them you can also lead a client to the page you need. Using the Internet, the user always works with links without even noticing it. In the case of an online store, the user encounters links as soon as he finds your site, because he visits it by clicking on the link.

Among all the links, there are several main types. They are separated by their intended purpose, since for the normal functioning of the site, different links must perform different functions. Among the functions that links must perform for the functioning of an online store, it is worth noting:

• Links for transitions between sections of the online store.
• Links for selecting the type of information needed by the user.
• Links used to filter the products of the online store according to the parameters required by the client.
• Links whose task is to help the customer of the online store during the execution of his order.

The site navigation consists of clear and intuitive links that can lead the user to the page he needs. The better the navigation is built and the clearer the links are designed for users, the more valuable the user experience is and the higher the user's loyalty to your site. Such loyalty may not affect the ranking, but it can definitely affect the turnover of your Internet resource. That is why it is important that the site navigation is intuitive, correct and easy to use. But what types of navigation are there? How are they used and how do they differ? What should I pay attention to before developing navigation?

What is important to consider before starting the development of a turnkey online store
The development of an online store is a process in which there are many stages. The stage of developing the structure and navigation falls at the very beginning of creating an online store, since it is the foundation of the site. In order to achieve effective promotion, it is important that your site has an intuitive structure and navigation - and this can only be achieved with certain knowledge and experience.

When planning the development of an online store, it is important that you devote a certain amount of time and attention to the issue of finding specialists for the development itself. The fact is that in many respects the success of your future Internet resource, as well as its prospects, depend on the professionalism of the company you have applied to. It is not uncommon to find Internet resources whose user experience clearly leaves much to be desired. As a rule, in such situations there is the fault of one or several developers at once, which, of course, will not help you in any way to regain lost prospects. In order not to lose prospects and develop an online store that can take the first place in the search results, you will need to find a team of real specialists, such as developers and designers of the Gloss web studio.

The Gloss team consists of highly qualified specialists with many years of experience. For 13 years, our team has been able to become the best in the niche of developing and promoting online stores in Ukraine, and we do not plan to stop there. You can get acquainted with the works of our specialists, evaluate their work and make sure of our professionalism by visiting the Gloss portfolio. To do this, you will need to use the Gloss website menu. If you have already made a decision and decided to order the creation of a turnkey online store from the specialists of the Gloss web studio — all you need to do is contact us in any way convenient for you. You can use the phone number posted on the website of the Gloss web studio - or an online chat. You can also write to us by email and, regardless of the chosen option, get instant feedback.

After all the details of the development are agreed, all that remains for you is to wait until our specialists develop, design and optimize your new Internet resource. You can also immediately get the first visitors to the site-by ordering its promotion from the Gloss web studio. For 13 years of work, we have created an incalculable number of successful advertising companies, so if you want a quick and high-quality result, you definitely need to contact us. To learn more about the services of the Gloss web studio and order the service that your current or future Internet resource needs, you can visit the Gloss website menu and click on the “Company Services " tab.

What types of links are present in the site navigation

As with most elements used when creating Internet resources — types and types are also distinguished among links. This is necessary in order to simplify the process of creating an Internet resource, and to provide a specialist with a sufficient amount of information regarding the location and use of certain links. Having ordered a turnkey online store and received a ready-made project, you will encounter such links:

1. Main link-the main links are the links leading from the main page or the main menu of our Internet resource.

2. Global links-global links are links that can lead a user from one end of the site to the other. Such links are necessary to implement a convenient user transition from the product catalog to the personal account, or to the “delivery details " tab. It is difficult to overestimate the importance of such links, because they are integral elements of your site.

3. Thematic links-thematic links are used to implement the user's transition between pages and tabs related to the same topic.

4. Internal links — the use of such links in the content text or product descriptions is most often called linking. The main task of linking is to provide the client with the opportunity to go to the page that interested him in the process of getting acquainted with the information. Thus, by publishing an article in the online store block about comparing smartphones of different models with the help of linking, you can give the client the opportunity to go to the page of the product that interests him in one click. Such links are extremely useful, as they significantly reduce the amount of time required for the user to search for the product that he needs.

5. Language links — the main task of such links is to implement the ability to translate all the information published on the website of the online store, including the main one-into the language necessary for the user. The presence of such a link is extremely important if you are planning to expand your target audience or are selling goods in Ukraine, where two languages are equally well perceived at once.

6. Advertising links-advertising links are links whose tasks include a quick transition of the client from a click on an ad block to the product or page that interests him. Such blocks can be used on the site both for quick access to the most popular positions, and for earning and expanding the company's budget. Placing ad blocks on the websites of other companies or specialized resources is one of the methods of promoting online stores this year, so the importance of such links is also difficult to overestimate.

From the point of view of web design, the development of site navigation can be horizontal and vertical. In addition, now one of the trending solutions is navigation based on the principle of mixing blocks of different orientations. In this way, the designer can focus the user's attention on some elements, and attach less importance to others. In many ways, the choice of navigation from the designer's point of view depends on the type of site, user experience and, of course, your personal considerations. Anyway, there are no specific rules for which sites to use which orientation, so in this matter everything remains on the reasoning of the customer and the designer.

Site navigation as a phenomenon consists of several elements at once. You have definitely met each of the elements listed below on different sites, since each of these elements is necessary for the site for ease of use. The main elements in the navigation of the website of the online store are the following elements:

• URL;
• Hader;
• Main menu;
• Search form;
• Progress bar, "Up"button;
• Links within texts;
• Footer.

This is how the components of the navigation of the online store site look like.

Methods for implementing different types of navigation

Website navigation is an element that can be implemented in absolutely different ways. In order to choose the right type of implementation, you should contact a specialist whose task is to study the user interface and user design, that is, a UX/UI specialist. The user experience and interface designer, based on the research of your target audience, as well as on the basis of his own experience, will offer you an option for implementing site navigation that will bring the most valuable user experience and will not cause an increase in the bounce rate from customers. As for how exactly you can implement navigation on the website of your online store — the list of implementation methods is as follows:

1. Text implementation method - in this case, an ordinary text is used to create site navigation, in which a clickable link is embedded.

2. The graphical method of implementation — in this case, instead of the usual text, the link container is a picture or an advertising block, to which a clickable link is also attached.

3. HTML implementation method — this implementation assumes the appearance of a link at the moment when the user hovers his cursor over the place where the link for the transition is hidden.

4. Java and flash - this method of implementing navigation on the website of an online store complements the previous method of implementation, making it more interesting for the user and thereby affecting the user experience and customer loyalty.

After analyzing the preferences of your target audience, a specialist in the field of UX/UI will be able to tell you which specific type of navigation implementation is better to choose in your case and which of the proposed options will bring the greatest benefit to a turnkey online store in 2021.

How the navigation of an online store's website can affect search engine promotion

Search engine promotion is one of the most popular methods of website promotion in search results. To improve the ranking and increase the amount of traffic to the site, it is necessary to make a lot of effort to optimize the web resource. The navigation of the online store is also able to influence the success of the Internet resource in matters of promotion. In order for the site to get into the top of the search results, it must be more convenient, clearer and faster than all competitors. As for navigation specifically and its impact on search engine promotion — the list of what navigation can affect is as follows:

1. Influence on the behavior of visitors

A huge number of online stores in one niche allows customers to make their choice in favor of a site with the most high-quality and useful user experience for them. High-quality website navigation can simplify the process of purchasing and registering a product or service from the client. Also, competent navigation has a positive effect on the duration of the selection process and ordering — which does not go unnoticed by the client. Thus, the faster the client can place an order, download a tool or order a service — the higher the chance that the client will do it, and the better the conversion rate of your Internet resource.

2. Influence on indexing in the search engine

Search engine algorithms pay attention to the clarity and consistency of navigation on the site. From the point of view of the Google search engine, user convenience is the main thing. Thus, the more convenient and understandable the navigation is — the better it is for indexing and promotion. It is also worth considering that it is impossible to achieve indexing without links, since search robots are simply not able to index what no link leads to.

3. Appearance of the snippet

Using competent navigation, built on the basis of the hierarchy of your site's pages in relation to each other, allows you to improve the appearance of the snippet and make it more attractive to users. Users can go directly from the search results page to the page of your site — without wasting time searching for the necessary link by going to the main page of your Internet resource.

Summing up the results of this article, I would like to note once again that not only its prospects in promotion, but also the prospects of your company depend on the logic, clarity and quality of navigation on your site. If the creation of an Internet resource has become an outcome for you in a crisis situation caused by a pandemic — making a mistake in the specialists to whom you turn for the creation of a turnkey online store, you risk not only getting a low-quality website, but also remaining bankrupt.

In order to get rid of such risks, entrust the development of online stores and corporate websites exclusively to famous companies, such as the Gloss web studio. By ordering the creation of an online store from us, you are guaranteed to receive a high-quality resource that has all the prospects for further effective promotion.

Order the creation of an online store from the specialists of the Gloss website creation studio today, and start your successful business on the Internet with a high-quality Internet resource-tomorrow!