Refine Shopping Paths: 7 Navigation Structures To Adopt

Understanding User Behavior in E-Commerce

Ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes when you click around an online shop. Why you stop at some pages and scroll past others. That’s where this thing called user behaviour comes in - it’s the study of how we, as customers, make decisions while navigating e-commerce platforms.

I think, to really understand user behaviour, we need to look beyond what users are clicking on and focus instead on why they are clicking certain things. Imagine this: a user logs onto an e-commerce platform looking for a new pair of shoes. They browse a few pages, add a couple of pairs to their cart, and then exit without making a purchase.

This is supposedly called 'cart abandonment', and it is something many e-commerce businesses lose sleep over. Understanding why this happens could provide insights into how the shopping experience can be improved. It could be anything from users not being able to find specific products or categories easily, price tags being too steep or maybe the checkout process feels just that little bit too long and unnecessary. The reality is that there is no perfect answer to why people do what they do on online shopping platforms.

Sometimes it's a simple matter of convenience - can they find what they're looking for quickly. Other times it's about trust - does the platform feel secure. Then there are also things like loyalty programmes and rewards to consider as well. The question remains - how do you keep your user interested enough to stick around until they pay.

At the end of the day, it all boils down to providing a seamless experience that gets users exactly where they need to be. And sometimes the best way to figure that out is kind of by testing different navigation structures and features. Sort of. So much of our user behaviour is subconscious anyway.

We tend to favour sites with easy navigation because they make us feel like we know what we're doing (even if that's not always the case). This means there is tremendous power in making your e-commerce site clean, simple and easy to use because you'll appeal to your user's subconscious desire for autonomy - letting them take control of their shopping experience instead of mindlessly scrolling around until something pops up that catches their fancy.

Hierarchical Navigation: Pros and Cons

Why does it seem like some online stores are built for actual humans to use, while others are a labyrinth where you can almost hear the click of doors locking behind you. Often, the answer lies in the navigation structure and how it guides users from point A to B. Hierarchical navigation is what most people are used to - think main menu with subcategories underneath it.

You know, like 'Tops' with its own dropdown that leads to 'T-Shirts', which then leads to 'Crop Tops', and so on. There’s comfort in structure, that much is true. It brings a sense of order that makes users feel like they’re in control and are seemingly able to find exactly what they want. And retailers like it too because when it comes together correctly, this type of navigation can be surprisingly flexible - especially if you have a ton of categories (and subcategories) you want displayed in one space.

Sort of. Plus, it allows for clear hierarchy so nothing gets lost in the shuffle. But hierarchies aren’t always fit for every website and user journey.

In fact, research has found this method can quickly become unwieldy if there are too many layers involved or, more concerningly, if new user journeys become inaccessible. I’ve found myself stuck on several sites where I couldn’t easily jump between different categories without going all the way back up again. It gets even trickier when retailer struggle with keeping it intuitive and easy-to-use instead of a nightmarish maze filled with breadcrumbs. When done right, hierarchical navigation becomes second nature – to both users and retailers – and achieving that is truly great for conversions because customers feel safe enough to spend more time and money on your site.

But beware having too many choices too soon; the added clutter only leads to confusion and overwhelm shoppers rather than add clarity.

Breadcrumbs: Guiding Users Through Their Journey

Suggests That have you ever clicked your way down a rabbit hole, only to forget how you got there or what you were originally looking for. Happens to me more times than i care to admit. Breadcrumbs are probably meant to help with that.

No, not the ones in fairy tales. These are nifty navigation aids that make moving around online stores much simpler. They usually appear horizontally across the top of a page - just under the navigation bar - like little linked labels: Home > New In > Dresses > Summer Dresses.

They tell you where you are and how you got there. Sort of like digital directions back home.

These breadcrumbs help customers retrace their steps and keep them from getting lost in the depths of your site. Now there appear to be three common types: location-based, path-based, and attribute-based.

Location-based breadcrumbs show users where they are probably in the site hierarchy, so they work best for broad online stores with many product categories. Path-based ones show users where they’re at according to the path they followed. These suit situations where a user is likely going back and forth between pages and using different navigation methods.

Attribute-based ones display characteristics of the items being viewed, so if a shopper is filtering items by price, colour, or material, these could be quite useful. I think it's safe to say that with this simple navigation tool it becomes fairly straightforward for customers to find their way around your website, especially if it’s as big as this internet itself. It also encourages users to continue browsing without feeling confused or overwhelmed by all the options available. There’s something very comforting about knowing where one is currently at and how far one needs to go (even if it’s back).