Tips to Orientate Users on Your Site

Imagine that you are in a store. Whether you are there to buy something specific or just to browse, being well informed of your whereabouts is much appreciated. For example, you are aware that you’re currently in the kitchen department based on a product’s price tag. You see the fastest way to get to the bathroom with the help of visible arrows. The same concept should be applied to your website for your users to feel more comfortable.

Visitors need to know their location on your site at every moment, as well as the available possibilities (destinations of your links, accessing the Contact page, etc.).  If they are unable to find what they seek, there is a high chance they might leave your site soon, perhaps never return. Always make sure your site is intuitive and clear!

Site Menu for User-Friendly Navigation

The menu and its structure is a highly important aspect of your website. The menu displays the page names and should ideally contain 5-7 items, and in case more exist, subpages should be organized to accomodate them. Make sure that the subpages are logically arranged – it would be certainly be a big surprise for the user to find a calendar in the “Frequently Asked Questions” page!

Linking

Another great way to improve user orientation on your website is to add internal links. Internal links connect individual web pages within your site. For example, in the “FAQ” page, you can place a link in the answer to a question. This link then leads to another page on your website where users can find more detailed information. It’s practical for both you and your users. Adding the same information in two different places will not be needed, and user navigation on your site becomes faster and easier.

Site Map and Search

The site map clearly shows the entire structure of your website. Webnode automatically creates two maps of your website. One site map is for user orientation on your site and the other is for search engines to properly recognize the structure of your website. If users do not want to browse through the whole structure, but only look for specific information, they are more likely to use the search field of your website. Both site map and search options significantly help users find what they are looking for.

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Content is undoubtedly the most important element of your website, so if your site can not be found quickly and easily because of poor user orientation, searches will not be effective.  Applying these tips will help users find what they need!