Site Navigation - Helping Your Customers Find Your Products Easily

When people visit your site, they expect to find things easily. Everyone just hates websites that toss you around, directing you from one page to another before showing you what you actually want to see? Well, actually everyone hates being tossed around. So if you want to successfully sell the products in your site, then make sure that you make your site very easy to navigate.

What is navigation?

You may still be wondering what the term navigate really means. Just think of it this way, pretend that you are flying an airplane or steering a ship. In order for you not to get lost, you need the help of a navigational system. This will tell you where you are and will lead you to where you want to go.

It is just the same for websites. To help visitors navigate through your site easily, you need to provide them with a site map. This tool is actually a list of things that visitors can find in your site. It contains headings for topics as well as links to various pages in your website. A site map can help visitors go to the specific area that they intend to view.

Website owners are well aware of a rule that they have to follow if they want visitors to purchase their products. The rule is that it should not take a visitor more than three clicks to go to a specific destination in your site. A lot of businesses fail to make a sale because of poor navigation. People leave their sites even before they see the products.

Visitors should be able to access the product page easily. You can make your site user-friendly by using features such as drop-down menus or easy-to-read buttons. Through these features, visitors can just point to an option and click it, and they will be directed to a specific page. Some designs allow cursors to change shape or colour, making your site look more interesting. Before you go live, make sure that you check your links for any errors.

Importance of Landing Pages

When you put up ads in other sites, you provide links that visitors can click so they will be directed to your site. If you want them to know more about your products, then naturally you would want them to be directed to a product page and not the homepage. A landing page is a great marketing tool as it leads a visitor directly to where the products are listed. Here, a potential customer can just browse through categories and click on a product that they wish to buy.

A landing page can contain information about all the products that you are offering your customers. Descriptions, pricing and photos are included and usually there is a button at the bottom that customers can just click so they will be directed to the virtual store. Online businesses that are planning to create an email database can include in the landing page a form where visitors can input information about themselves before being directed to the product descriptions.

The easier it is for customers to find information in your site, the greater your chances at making a sale. When you design your web pages, make sure that they will be easy to link together.

Jack Heape is an online marketer with over 25 years experience in media, sales, and marketing. He specializes in assisting local companies establish an online presence through his company LinkLocal. Jack is the author of several ebooks and numerous articles. Visit his website for more information on local internet marketing services.