mobile app navigate

How to perfectly navigate for the mobile web?

If you make that irresistible count then the number of mobile users is certain to outdo the number of desktop users as thus it has become important for the designers to design with a mobile-first mentality. With myriad of folks buying products and services, reading the news and communicating with each other, it’s become pertinent that the design focus switches to the mobile user experience.

So, what’s the right way to lend your users with high-quality user experience? Well, the answer is “mobile navigation”. For instance, as the users enjoy a seamless navigation it becomes easy for them to find what they are looking for. This way, their user experience is certain to enhance, as when the user experience is at such outstanding level, you can remain assured that the clients are going to enjoy more people visiting their sites and that would mean more conversions.

Great mobile navigation is all about what you choose to contain in the menu and there is no requirement of many elements to pave way for great experience. Just keep in mind that screen space is imperative on mobile, thus you need to be picky regarding what your menu comprises of.

Search

Include a search engine as that way mobile users succeed in finding what they are looking for. However, on mobile screens it’s not possible to fill in many of your elements on the homepage the way you do on a desktop site. This is the reason things vary as it comes to mobile screens.

If the users can’t find what they are looking for right from the moment they visit your site, then it becomes vital that a search feature is there and easy to spot. You must put the search feature at the top of the screen, be it your mobile app or a website. This way you can be ensured that your users will find it and use accordingly.

Home

It’s yet another menu-option design convention that sees the transition from desktop to mobile, with home icon being common to anyone who browses a website, whether on mobile or desktop as it’d be insane to exclude one. It’s necessary for mobile users as it offers an efficient and direct overview of the most imperative content on your site. Even mobile apps like Twitter go with the symbolic home icon in the navigation menu in the footer of the app.

The share icon

Again, it’s important to include the share icon as it’s a vital part of your mobile navigation menu. It’s recommended on the basis of user data. Social sharing is helpful as a social proof as well as convinces people that your article, product or site is prominent, thus it must be further read or bought. However it’s required that most of the mobile users participate in it. Your navigation menu must consist of a unique share icon as lot many users find your mobile site content captivating so you must make the most of this potential social-sharing power.

Relevant categories

As you own an e-Commerce store, it’s not possible to curtail your navigation menu, however that’s fine when you offer your mobile customers with easy and direct access to various purchase categories. As we conclude, online stores are only required to make it easy for shoppers to find exactly what they want to buy.

Limited choices for menu options

Often it happens that as designers you are keen on doing much more for your clients and this is visible in your designs often as including too many choices in your navigation menu. However, “less is more” the case as it comes to mobile. After all no one is keen that your mobile users come across a choice paralysis while navigating various options included by you. When the designing is done with mobile in mind, it tends to do wonder as it assures a better user experience with people being able to find what they desire more effectively.

Sumit Garg

Project Manager @ Octal Info Solution