Every multi-page website has navigation that allows the user to visit the other pages within the site—it’s how you can see the content on the other parts of the website. Various types of navigation can appear in different ways; for example, you could have horizontal navigation at the top of the page, vertical on one of the sides, a drop-down menu, a fixed menu, a hamburger menu, or another style.
Most business owners don’t realize the impact that navigation can have on their site, and they make choices about their website based on aesthetics. Often, the type of navigation they choose is simple and based on what looks good, or it may even be a suggestion based on a template.
However, choosing your website’s navigation should be made as carefully as the other elements of the website. Navigation is an important component of the user experience, affecting the overall success of the website, as well as advertising and marketing campaigns. Ultimately, data-driven decision-making should drive what type of navigation your website has because of the impact it can have on your brand’s success and profitability.
Why Website Navigation Matters
As we mentioned, navigation is a critical component of the user experience. It has a trickle-down effect that can ultimately affect conversions, bounce rates, and even SEO. Consider that your navigation is the roadmap to how a user gets to their destination. If your navigation is filled with errors, difficult to use or find, or worse, nonexistent, your users will be unhappy.
Conversions
Websites will usually see lower conversions when navigation is chosen without data-driven decision-making and the wrong navigation is chosen. The conversion rate is the metric that basically refers to whether or not a user visiting the site will take the desired action — whether that is to fill out a form, follow through with “buy now,” or click for a quote. The conversion occurs when the user takes that action. When they can’t find how to contact you, how to buy, or how to connect, the conversion is lost, and often, that comes with the price of losing that potential customer’s business.
Bounce Rates
What do you do if you don’t like a place? You bounce or leave that place. That’s exactly what that means online. A bounce rate is when a user lands on a website but then immediately navigates away without spending any time on the site or taking any action. With poor navigation, users will leave because they can’t find what they came to the site to learn, buy, do, etc.
A high bounce rate indicates that users don’t like what they’re seeing, they can’t find what they want, or they’re encountering other issues that make them want to leave the site. It also means that your competitor may be picking up those wayward potential customers—something no business owner wants.
SEO
Say it ain’t SEO! But it’s true —navigation can affect SEO. As algorithms get smarter and more in tune with how users behave, they’re ranking user-friendly sites higher than those that aren’t, which means if your site doesn’t have easy-to-use navigation or it has navigation that leads users to dead ends, your SEO ranking will suffer.
How to Monitor Website Navigation
There are many tools available to help you analyze your website’s performance and navigation so you can implement data-driven decision-making. Choose from direct analytical options like Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics and more. Another bonus is that often, website monitoring and data on navigation is included in many types of marketing software.
The great news is that if you or your team aren’t using your marketing software to its full potential, you can hire a company to manage it for you, along with helping you with digital marketing campaigns, your website management, and more!
Using Information for Data-Driven Decision-Making
Use the data gathered from the website monitoring tools to determine if your site excels or if it needs work. By reviewing and using data such as page views, bounce rates, exit rates, and time spent on pages, you can determine what is and isn’t working, discover where users spend the most time, find out what content is resonating with your particular audience, and more. When you make decisions backed by data, you can see quantifiable results, which is important in determining the success of your site.
Adjust and Adapt Based on Data
See problems? Change them! Nowhere else are things less permanent than online, and making changes that improve your site will be viewed by Google favorably. Use the power of information for data-driven decision-making. For example, if you are seeing a high bounce rate on your home page, check to make sure there aren’t any page errors in your navigation. No matter what the problem is, if your site is experiencing less than optimal performance, adjust and adapt based on what the data is telling you.
Why Continuous Monitoring is Necessary
Anyone who’s been online knows how fast things change. Google is constantly updating its algorithms, technology is improving (think about how AI has impacted SEO), and people’s tastes change. All of this means that while your navigation may be helpful and successful at one point, it can change and no longer be the preferred style later. Continuous monitoring of your website’s performance, including its navigation, is critical for the site's success, optimizing your ad campaigns, brand visibility, and more.
Ready to Refine Your Website’s Navigation with Data-Driven Decision-Making?
Get your navigation back on track with a company that keeps the momentum going. Contact The Creative Momentum for a free quote on how we can enhance your website today!