Breadcrumbs are a type of secondary navigation that helps users understand their current location on a website and how they got there. Breadcrumbs typically appear near the top of a webpage, just below the header or navigation bar, and provide links to each level of the site hierarchy that may lead to the current page.
For example, a breadcrumb trail for a product page on an e-commerce site might look like this:
Home > Category > Subcategory > Product
Clicking on any of the links in the breadcrumb trail would take the user back to the corresponding page.
Breadcrumbs can be helpful for a variety of reasons:
- Improving website navigation: Breadcrumbs can make it easier for users to navigate your website and find their way around.
- Enhancing user experience: Breadcrumbs provide context and help users understand where they are on your site, which can boost their overall experience.
- Reducing bounce rates: If a user lands on a page deep within your site hierarchy, breadcrumbs can provide an easy way to navigate to other areas of your site, reducing the likelihood of them bouncing away.
- Improving search engine optimization: Breadcrumbs can help search engines understand the structure of your site and how pages are related to each other, which can improve your site's search engine rankings.
Many content management systems, including WordPress, have built-in breadcrumb functionality or a third-party plugin to add breadcrumbs to your site.
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| Breadcrumb examples for design |
How to use breadcrumbs on a website?
To use breadcrumbs on your website, you can follow these general steps:
- Choose a breadcrumb style: There are different styles of breadcrumbs, including location-based, attribute-based, and path-based. Choose a style that best suits your website's structure and the needs of your users.
- Design your breadcrumb trail: Determine which pages and categories you want to include in your breadcrumb trail and how you want them to be displayed. For example, you might have to use arrows or slashes to separate the links or use a different colour or font to distinguish the breadcrumb trail from the rest of your website.
- Implement breadcrumbs: If you're using a content management system like WordPress, available that allows you to add breadcrumbs to your website. Alternatively, you can use HTML and CSS to code the breadcrumb trail into your website's template.
- Test and optimize: Once you've implemented breadcrumbs on your website, test them thoroughly to confirm they work correctly and are easy to use. Consider gathering feedback from users to identify any issues or areas for improvement.
Here are some additional tips for using breadcrumbs effectively:
- Place breadcrumbs near the top of your webpage, either above or below your main navigation menu.
- Use clear, descriptive labels for each link in the breadcrumb trail to help users understand where they are and where they can go.
- Confirm the breadcrumb trail is easy to see and use on desktop and mobile devices.
- Use rich snippets to enhance your breadcrumb trail's appearance in search engine results pages.
Breadcrumbs are a good design element for websites, as they can improve website navigation and enhance user experience. Here are some reasons why breadcrumbs are beneficial:
- Improved website navigation: Breadcrumbs provide an easy-to-use secondary navigation system that helps users understand where they are on a website and how they got there. This navigation can make it easier for them to navigate around the site and find what they're looking for.
- Better user experience: Breadcrumbs provide context and help users understand the structure of a website, which can enhance their overall experience and make them more likely to return.
- Reduced bounce rates: If a user lands on a page deep within a website's hierarchy, breadcrumbs can provide an easy way to navigate to other areas of the site, reducing the likelihood of them leaving the site.
- Improved search engine optimization: Breadcrumbs can help search engines understand the structure of a website and how pages are related to each other, which can improve the site's rankings.
However, it's worth noting that poorly implemented breadcrumbs can be confusing or ineffective, so it's vital to design them carefully and test them thoroughly to ensure they're working as intended. Additionally, breadcrumbs are not always necessary for smaller websites or simple website structures, so it's important to consider whether they're appropriate for your website.
Advantages of using Breadcrumbs
Breadcrumbs' use on your website has several assets, including:
- Improved User Experience: Breadcrumbs improve the user experience by making it easier for visitors to understand where they are on your website and how they got there. They provide an additional navigation tool that complements the main navigation menu.
- Better Navigation: Breadcrumbs provide a clear path for users to follow and help them navigate a website's hierarchy. This navigation can reduce the number of clicks required to find the desired information and help visitors quickly get to the content they're interested in.
- Reduced Bounce Rate: By providing a clear and easy-to-use navigation aid, breadcrumbs can help reduce the bounce rate of your website. Visitors who would otherwise get frustrated and leave may be more likely to stay on your site longer and explore more pages.
- Better SEO: Breadcrumbs can also improve your website's search engine optimization (SEO) by providing a clear hierarchy of your content for search engines to understand. This development can help improve your website's visibility in search engine results pages.
- More Time Spent on Site: By making it easier for users to navigate your website and find the information they need, breadcrumbs can lead to visitors spending more time on your site. This action can increase the chances of visitors taking a desired action, such as a purchase or filling out a contact form.
Using breadcrumbs can be helpful to your website's usability, navigation, and SEO. By helping visitors find what they need quickly and easily, you can improve the user experience and increase engagement on your site.
SEO work often overlooks Breadcrumb's user experience (UX), but it can be highly beneficial when designing a complex navigation system. To enhance the UX of breadcrumbs, we can incorporate sideways navigation, make breadcrumb paths more distinct, and use accordions on mobile devices.