Not only products and services, but even the manner of users’ interaction with the pages where they are published, are e-commerce’s subjects. Clear and simple navigation is one of the key success factors of online trade. Under high expectations and hard competition in a time, it is extremely important not only to offer high-quality products, but also to give them a simple means of finding and buying them. The importance of proper navigation cannot be overstated: it has a direct bearing on the user’s time spent on the site, his buying decision and the user experience as a whole.
Visually intuitive interfaces, by which you can quickly access the desired product or service, become a requirement for e-commerce websites. Otherwise, even the best product is not known. The sites with easy navigation have much higher chances to be successful because they provide the visitor with a quick and easy way to the final goal – purchasing.
In addition, successful navigation leads to higher conversion, improved brand engagement and improved customer trust. Especially in the context of the plethora of growing online platforms, the attention of the user becomes increasingly a battleground. In this article, created with Celadonsoft, that just had a discussion about Virtual Reality Trends and Use Cases, we will discuss which principles and navigation methods are necessary in order to stand out among all the options and E-Commerce Platforms Review of a high-quality experience to the users.
Principles of good digital retail navigation
Navigation in the interface of the online store is a huge factor towards facilitating ease and convenience for the customer to find the right product without distraction by the complicated interface. There is a need to consider some principles that will make it possible to create a snug and natural user interface.
Simple and familiar interface
The very first thing any programmer should know is the need to be respectful of simplicity and tradition of interface. It is required that users intuitively understand how to work on the site. Regulations for the placement of menu items, logos, and navigation panels should be in compliance with accepted standards. This involves:
- The logo in the top part of the page, which always points to the main one.
- A visible menu and organized by product categories.
- Use fixed navigation, which does not move its position when scrolling the page.
- These elements enhance the user’s confidence and reduce the time to find the right information.
Categorization of categories and sub-categories
Clear and logical structuring of product categories and sub-categories is a prerequisite for successful navigation. To allow the customer to quickly find what he is looking for, it is required to structure a catalogue. Products are usually divided into several broad categories, each of which may have its own subcategories. Some examples of categories can be:
- Electronics
- Clothing
- Cosmetics & Perfumery
Therefore, all the categories can have subcategories to filter the search, e.g., under the category «Electronics» can be such sub-categories as «Smartphones», «Laptops» and «Accessories». Multi-level menu support helps the user to navigate a large quantity of goods more conveniently and to discover the right positions faster.
Search function
The significance of the search bar in e-shops cannot be overstressed. This is the main tool for customers who are aware of what they seek and want to access the proper product immediately. To make the search effective, you will need:
- Place the search bar near the top of the page in such a position that it becomes visible at all times.
- Provide an AutoComplete function which will show the products or the categories when typing in the query. This helps in speeding up the search and reduces the chances of errors.
- Implement filters such that the buyers are allowed to refine the search with the help of parameters like price, brand, rating and other characteristics of the product.
Also interesting would be optimizing search algorithms for covering synonyms and errors in words searched.
Adaptive approach to the mobile
The main traffic these days to ecommerce sites comes from cell phones. Thus, there also needs to be an adjustment for navigation into tablet and phone views. In each case, ease and a smooth response would make it suitable without much exertion on the user’s side. Important:
- Use an adaptive layout that scales the layout to the screen width automatically.
- Arrange the menus and buttons so that they become clickable while scrolling.
- Simplify the interaction elements (e.g., big buttons and menus for touch screens’ ease of use).
Add to this that customers also use the site for comparisons and purchases on the move, so download speed and usability must be optimized.
e-commerce navigation innovation
Present-day e-commerce websites are working hard to incorporate new technologies in order to not only improve the user experience, but also present innovative solutions that simplify shopping. In this part, we will discuss the most important trends changing navigation styles on such sites.
Voice assistant integration
Voice interfaces are becoming popular. They allow the user to search for products, find prices and purchase by voice commands. Some examples of such technologies include integration with mainstream voice assistants such as Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.
For business, this offers new opportunities because the user can make purchases without overt interaction with the screen. It is especially fitting for convenience seekers and mobile shoppers as well as speed-in-solution individuals. Its application may have the tendency to radically improve shopping and offer improved access.
Application of virtual and augmented reality
Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) are becoming more central technologies to facilitate a more interactive and interactive shopping experience. For example, in the fashion and furniture industry, consumers can see how certain products will look in their surroundings or on their body before purchasing.
These capabilities dispense with one of the largest disadvantages of web shopping – the inability to “touch” the products prior to buying. The use of both AR and VR and navigation on the site allows the user not just to view the product, but also to interact with it in real time, strongly increasing the likelihood of purchasing.
Personalization of navigation
Among the most powerful technologies that are revolutionizing e-commerce sites of today is personalization. More and more sites are using machine learning algorithms and artificial intelligence to personalize content according to the behaviour and preferences of the user. This means that the navigation of the site or that of the mobile app will be changed in relation to the interests of the individual user.
Personalized navigation may involve product recommendations based on previous orders, site behaviour, and search history. Although it is best to keep in mind that personalization only refers to the appearance of the site but also includes content structure, creating a tailored path for each individual.
As such, the users get not only seamless navigation but also tailored experience that helps them find the products they want to find more rapidly, improving satisfaction in platform use.
Price comparison websites and browsing
Price comparison websites are a critical feature of e-commerce, allowing consumers the opportunity to access the best deal at various buying outlets. Due to the numerous options and E-Commerce Platforms Review, including websites for marketing purposes and specialist online stores, the competition is becoming increasingly fierce.
How does it work?
Comparison price websites are associated with big web shops and traders, and the customer is provided with information on prices, ratings, and product features in one click. This eases the customer to buy considerably and saves the customer time. For example, websites like PriceRunner, Shopzilla or Google Shopping compile information from different stores and bring to the customer the best appropriate offers.
How is this useful for navigation?
For webshops and web stores, the purpose of such services is to make it simple for users to sort and filter products according to various parameters, i.e., price, ratings, availability. And one has also to bear in mind that external service integration can affect visibility for your product. Hence, price comparison website integration is becoming increasingly unavoidable, too.
Success story: Amazon explicitly uses integration with external platforms for price comparison, providing the user with additional search filters and sorting criteria. This enhances the customer experience, with more likelihood of the purchase being completed.
Trends and issues in navigation in online markets
Growth of mobile commerce
Year after year, mobile commerce (m-commerce) is increasingly an essential part of e-commerce. Already, according to many studies, more than 50% of all purchases are already being made on mobile devices. This means that the navigation must be optimized as far as the characteristics of mobile screens and how they interact with them are concerned.
Features of mobile navigation:
- Reduction of clicks: The interface should be as simple and intuitive as possible, with the number of clicks to complete a purchase kept to a minimum.
- Ease of search: Since screen space is limited, it should be ensured that the search box and product categories are always visible and accessible.
- Adaptive design: The UI components should be well-tuned to different screen and device sizes.
Environmental and ethical considerations
Today’s consumers are doing more to notice companies’ ethics and sustainability of products and the ecological impact of companies like Celadonsoft. This can be observed in navigation through the site: increasingly, stores offer filters for choosing eco-products or products made with sustainable development in mind. For this reason, it is necessary to introduce functions that will allow the user to sort products easily by such a parameter.
The growing role of marketers
It is with the advent of websites such as Amazon, eBay, and Alibaba that marketers are finding it easy to place themselves in the e-commerce field. One should not forget that the navigation mechanisms of these websites must provide the user with immediate access to products without overloading his information. The effectiveness of marketing guides depends on efficient organization of data, visual and user-friendly layout.
Conclusion: The future of navigation in e-commerce
The future of navigation in e-commerce is related to the release of new technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). These technologies allow platforms to predict the users’ needs and personalize the interface according to their convenience. For example, algorithms based on ML can show the user products based on his history of buying and behaviour on the platform.
The influence of virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR)
The augmented reality is being used to create interactive shopping experience, such as when one puts on clothes or tastes a product. Going forward, we shall have a still more personal embedding of AR/ VR with directions, allowing people to “experiment” products or choose them from a virtual place, dramatically making the decision process better.
Function of voice technologies
Voice search and voice assistants are becoming very popular in e-commerce. The integration of voice search into search enables to speed up the process of deciding the correct merchandise and simplifies the purchase, especially on mobile devices. In the future, we will see even more voice technologies, which will introduce new opportunities for improving the user experience.
Conclusion
E-Commerce Platforms Review is constantly evolving, and companies like Celadonsoft must keep pace with the newest developments to provide a more convenient experience. Greater emphasis will be put on personalization, mobility, and interaction with new technological solutions. Companies that can bring innovations at the right time and provide users with an easy and efficient interface, will create a clear competitive advantage.
