Navigation 101: The UX Essentials for a Store That Works Like Your Customers Think

I won’t spend a lot of time explaining that your store has to be convenient for users — that’s kind of obvious, right? Nobody enjoys roaming around  a website like they’re trying to find the exit in  a parking lot at 2 a.m. But navigation is not just about visitors. Google cares a lot about UX (user experience). If people struggle to find things, leave without buying, or don’t interact with your pages Google notices. And then your rankings can drop just because someone couldn’t find the size filter.

Now, the good news: every store you get from Offiro already comes with built- in tools and structure that support intuitive navigation, smart search, optimized product cards, and mobile responsiveness. And that’s the beauty of buying a ready-to-run business. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel; you just polish it  a bit.

In this article, I’ll walk you through  the main elements that make online navigation not just “fine,” but effortless. We’ll go through search, breadcrumbs, filters, product cards, and some practical UX tips that will help even if you’re just starting.

1. Website Search

There’s a simple rule I usually stick to: if your store has more than 300 products — you need search. But even if you’re somewhere below that, it’s still an advantage. According to Center Centre, around 25–30% of users actually start their journey with  the search bar, not by clicking through categories. That’s a huge number of people who’d rather type than browse.

And here’s the tip: search isn’t just for visitors, It’s for you too.

When customers use your website search (especially if your store has search hints enabled), their route to purchase becomes way shorter. But what’s even more interesting is what you can do with that data.

Most tools, like Google Analytics, will show you:

• How many people use search
• What they type ( and how they actually call things)
• When they hit “search” and then leave

And that’s where things get practical:

• If users searched but didn’t find anything → maybe it’s time to add new products (which you can do in just a few clicks)
• If they found the product but  it was out of stock → that’s your warehouse telling you to restock
• If people type one name but  the product page uses another → rename it  or add synonyms
• If search shows completely irrelevant results → check your backend settings, something’s off

And if users are searching by category names or brands instead of going through your menu, that’s a silent hint your catalogue structure could be more intuitive.

2. Breadcrumb Navigation

Breadcrumbs are basically those little clickable traces at  the top of  the page that show you where you currently are. They work exactly like breadcrumbs in fairy tales — helping people retrace their steps without getting lost in  the woods of your catalogue.

Imagine you run a store selling apparel designed specifically for firefighters and first responders — like Heroflames.com. A user looking at  a “Limited Edition Firefighter Hoodie” might see something like:

Home → Professions → Firefighters → Hoodies → Limited Edition

One quick glance and they know where they are and how they got there. And if they suddenly think, “Hmm, maybe I’d rather check the jackets instead,” they can simply click “Firefighters” and go one step back.

A couple of practical tips:

• Make breadcrumbs visible and clickable. Don’t hide them in tiny grey text at  the bottom — nobody scrolls to look for directions
• If your store has a deep structure with many layers, consider adding a small drop-down menu into  the breadcrumb trail, so users can jump across sections without having to click through every step

Seems like  a small detail, but  when used right, breadcrumbs help users feel in control. And  when people don’t feel lost on your site, they’re much more likely to stay and buy.

3. Catalogue Structure & Human-Friendly URLs

Leaving all your products just floating around  in your catalogue is  like tossing clothes all over your apartment floor and hoping someone compliments your sense of order. That is why structuring your store is crucial. The tricky part is  to figure out how to do it.

Most beginner entrepreneurs go for  the obvious setup: Clothes, Accessories, Home & Living, etc. That’s totally fine to start with. But don’t limit yourself only to “what things are.” Sometimes it’s better to structure by how people look for them.

Take Flavra.com, for example. You could search for decor ideas by product type (say, “Table Accents”) but also by style. Someone might know exactly what they want; others are just browsing for inspiration.

Now, let’s talk about URLs. When you add categories or subcategories, you add steps to  the URL, like:

/home-decor/scandinavian/vase

Looks clean and logical, right? Each step tells both users and search engines what’s going on. Which is exactly what we want.

But here’s a common beginner mistake: if one product belongs to multiple categories, novices often create duplicates. Please don’t. Let’s say you’re selling leather shoes.

They can easily sit under Summer Shoes, Leather Shoes, and Italian Shoes.

But that doesn’t mean you should create three different product pages. Instead:

• Use canonical tags to indicate the main page
• Or set up redirects to avoid confusion

Because trust me, dealing with duplicated shoes pages in Google Search Console is not the kind of “growth problem” you want.

So  to wrap this one up:

• Structure your catalogue for logic, but also for how people actually think
• Use meaningful steps in URLs
• And don’t clone product pages

4. Filters

If structuring your catalogue is step one, setting up filters is step two, and sometimes it’s even more crucial for customer experience. Filters ( or faceted search) help people narrow down your products based on characteristics that actually matter to them. And  unless you’re selling a single type of identical spoon, your products do have meaningful differences.

So yes — use filters. Always.

What filters should you use?

Here’s where people often overthink things and start throwing in every single attribute, like “manufacturer region” or “packaging material,” which no one really cares about. Instead, focus on what users actually search for. A few ways to figure that out:

• Search engine data
  If someone’s looking for  a TV, Google search trends might show that queries include screen size and display type way more often than, say, “smart app compatibility.” So if users care more about 42″ LED than built- in Netflix, follow their lead.

• Competitor analysis
  Check how competitors handle filters. If their filtering structure is logical and clean, there’s no shame in borrowing it. Or improving it (that’s where you can outperform them).

• Customer feedback
  If multiple customers ask, “Hey, can I filter only red items?” — well that’s a hint.

But  before adding filters, make sure your products have complete and consistent data. Nothing more annoying than selecting a filter that shows half your inventory. Also, convert values properly (cm vs inches, ml vs oz, etc.). You don’t want your store to look like it’s switching between Europe and  the US mid-page.

Static pages from popular combinations

Filters typically generate dynamic URLs, and some CMS platforms let those pages get indexed by search engines. Sounds good, right? Not really. It often leads to duplicates and we’ve already decided that this isn’t good.

But here’s what you can do:

• Identify a few high-demand filter combinations (e.g., “Summer Dresses → Linen → White”)
• And then create static pages for them manually.

This makes those pages SEO-friendly, and Google tends to rank them surprisingly fast. Just don’t create static pages for every possible combination — only the ones truly worth it.

5. Product Sorting

Once your catalogue section has more than 10 products, just listing them randomly won’t work. That’s where sorting comes in — it helps users decide how they want to browse, based on what matters most to them.

Here are the sorting options you should consider:

• Price – Classic choice. Some visitors look for  the cheapest option (budget shoppers), while others might go “show me the premium stuff first.” Both are valid.
• Discount – If someone’s bargain-hunting, make sure the biggest deals come first.
• Date added – Great for returning customers who check what’s new. If they liked your store once, chances are they’ll want to stay updated.
• Popularity – Sort by  the most purchased or most viewed items. A quick way of saying, “Other people love this — maybe you will too.”
• Rating – Show products with higher average review scores at  the top. But don’t hide items without reviews: some customers prefer “brand new, not yet judged” over something with mixed feedback.

It’s often smart to allow users to switch sorting type and direction (ascending/descending) — for example, “Price: low to high” or “high to low.”

And  a quick but important note:

7. Product Page

The proper structure of  a product page deserves its own separate article ( and we’ll probably write that one soon). There are just too many nuances when  it comes to design, trust triggers, content hierarchy, and conversion psychology.

But  since we’re focusing on navigation, I’ll highlight what matters most right here.

1. Guide the user toward  the main action

The primary goal of any product page is simple: convince the customer to buy.

So make sure:

• Main buttons ( like “Buy” or “Add to cart”) stand out clearly
  Use different colors than secondary actions like “Compare” or “Add to wishlist”
• Use clear wording
  “Buy now” or “Add to cart” works better than vague “Next” or “Continue”
• Give visual feedback
  When someone adds a product to their cart, confirm it. A little pop- up  or notification goes a long way

Users shouldn’t be guessing what will happen if they click. Clarity equals confidence. Confidence equals conversion.

2. If it doesn’t convert — redirect

Not every product page will seal the deal and that’s totally fine. Your next mission is  to guide them to something that will convert.

Useful blocks to include:

• “Similar products” – Alternatives in case this one wasn’t right
• “People also buy” – Social proof plus extra upsell opportunities
• “Complete the look” / “Pair with” – Complementary items often lead to bigger orders. Think: shoes + matching bag, camera + tripod, etc.

3. Don’t forget about “Recently viewed”

Someone might browse a few items, get distracted, leave and then come back five minutes later thinking, “What was that item I liked?” If they have to search for  it again, chances are you’ve lost them.

A “Recently viewed” block solves that. It’s a small addition that often recovers lost conversions.

In short: the product page is your closer. If it can’t close, it should at least re-route. Make actions obvious, alternatives accessible, and going back effortless.

Practical UX Tips to Improve Navigation & Overall Experience

Let’s wrap things up  with some hands- on advice. Below are simple, practical improvements that I genuinely believe even beginner entrepreneurs can apply without diving too deep into design theory.

1. Consider both mobile & desktop (separately)

Navigation works very differently depending on  the device. Mobile users rely on scrolling and finger taps, while desktop users prefer hovering, wider views, and minimal clicking. Here’s just one example: drop-down menus.

• On mobile, where screen space is limited, and you want to compact things, they work great
• On desktop, overly layered drop-downs can be irritating: they add extra clicks and hide options that could’ve been visible at once

So instead of designing “one site fits all,” treat mobile and desktop as two user experiences that share the same brand, but not the same layout logic. Ideally, your structure, CTAs, banners, and even filter placement can differ slightly depending on  the device.

Final thought

UX exists to make things easier. Every click you save, every second you shorten the decision-making process, improves conversion chances.

And if you’re working with  an Offiro store, you already have a serious head start:

The catalogue structure is professionally designed, so even if you’re not experienced in UX, you’re not starting from zero. You already have a clean, scalable base.

Mobile optimization is built in, which means your store is designed to work with modern browsing habits.

Filters, sorting options, and product cards come pre-configured, based on eCommerce best practices. You can adjust them to match your niche, but  the hard part is already done.

You get access to data-based insights (especially during  the trial period). You can act based on real customer behavior.

You’re not doing this alone. Offiro offers expert support and marketing services, so if you’re not sure how to improve UX, or you want someone to take a deeper look—you’ve got professionals who do this every day.

And finally — speed. You don’t need to spend months fixing technical UX errors. With Offiro, you get a fully working store from day one, meaning you can focus on optimizing, testing, and selling, not setting things up  from scratch.

Explore Offiro today and see how easily your entrepreneurial journey can begin.

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