Last month we continued our discussion of ways in which you can improve your site’s conversion rate. Conversion rate is the single most important factor of ecommerce. It goes without saying that anything you can do to improve it is worth your attention.
In this series we’ve discussed Ad copy; writing descriptions that are designed to sell, rather than just inform; Features vs. Benefits, remember customers don’t want features, they want benefits; and Credibility, because no one will buy anything from a site they don’t trust.
There are several keys to make your site easily navigated:
- Planning
- Consistency
- Three-click rule
- Utilities (View Cart, Search, etc)
- Alternative navigation
- Clarity (less is more)
Planning
Know what your site’s needs are before you begin building it. Whenever possible know how many top level pages you will need, how many product categories you will have and how many products in each.
Consistency
Your site’s main navigation menu should be consistent throughout the entire site. This will keep your customers from being confused or lost and give them the confidence to browse the products they want and to buy.
Three clicks
The Three-click rule is a general guideline that says your customers should not have to spend more than three clicks to get to the product they want. Most will choose to surf around and compare a little, but if a customer wants to buy, they should be able to do so without spending more than three clicks.
‘Utilities’
One thing that must always be available to the visitor is the links to things like Cart and Order tracking. These add credibility to your site as well as a sense of security for the customer.
Alternative Navigation
Studies have shown that different types of web surfers respond more favorably to different types of navigation. Some will ignore text links and click on images; others will pass over pictures and look for text navigation. Some will look top left for the official navigation bar while others will scroll to the bottom of every page for a site map. Make sure there is more than one way for customers to access the next page.
Clarity
While it is important to have options for your customers it is equally important to make sure your page does not become cluttered with too many redundant links. Fill the requirements of having varying options for your customers but don’t fill the page with so many options your customers don’t know which to choose. Remember to guide customers carefully. Give them one irresistible direction and let them choose it.
