A navigation structure that is as clear as possible is the cornerstone of every successful website, as it is key to the visitor having a pleasurable experience. If a website’s structure allows someone to quickly and intuitively click through and find what it is that they are looking for, then it is much more likely that they will be open to becoming a regular customer or user of what the website is offering. In order for your website to be user-friendly enough that people will want to linger on it (i.e., a website that catches someone’s interest and interacts with them), it requires the following essentials:
Clear structure: users should be able to figure out the structure of the website and get their bearings
Intuitive interface: with very few clicks, users should be able to arrive at the goal of their search (e.g. information, products, services, etc.)
Understandable and useful content: as well as being comprehensible for users, it should also be relevant to them and/or provide solutions
Visible features for interaction: users should always be aware of how they can get in touch with the website operator and acquire his/her products/services (e.g., via questionnaires, registration, purchase, order, review, imprint, etc.)
A practical and simple website navigation is not only beneficial for visitors to the site but can also contribute positively to success in marketing; the easier and more successful a user experience on your website is, the more likely you are to lead users to click through and create conversions. This will be made evident by the user’s interactions with your site — for instance, they have been persuaded to order a product from your online store, subscribe to your newsletter, or even download a PDF with further details on what it is that you are offering. These “conversions” are measurable via analysis tools and help to increase the website’s reach, and hopefully its turnover to boot.
On top of this, optimal website navigation doesn’t just lead to happier users – it also makes your website more attractive from a search engine point of view, i.e., by giving you a better ranking in the SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages) and rewarding your site by displaying some of your subpages in the form of clickable sitelinks. This makes the improvement of website navigation also an important aspect of the SEO methods for enhancing your website.