The Importance of Breadcrumbs on Your Website

Have you ever found yourself lost on a website, clicking back and forth trying to find the page you were previously on? Breadcrumbs are here to help with that. Breadcrumbs are small text paths that indicate the page hierarchy and the path users took to get to their current location on the website. They are an essential wayfinding tool that help increase user experience and engagement. In this blog post, we will go over what breadcrumbs are, why you should use them, how they work, and provide examples.

What are Breadcrumbs?

Breadcrumbs, also known as a “breadcrumb trail,” are a set of text links that show the location of the current page relative to the homepage or category. They are typically displayed horizontally at the top of the page, helping users navigate through the website in a structured manner. Breadcrumbs add information scent to users, as they are able to quickly understand their location on the website and which pages they have visited.

Why Use Breadcrumbs?

Breadcrumbs are a crucial part of website navigation, especially for sites with a large number of pages or multiple categories. They enhance the user experience by providing a clear and concise trail that helps visitors understand where they are on the website. This helps reduce bounce rate, as users are more likely to stay on the site and explore further. Breadcrumbs also assist in search engine optimization by providing contextual information for search engine crawlers.

How do Breadcrumbs Work?

If you are not sure how breadcrumbs work, the concept is simple. The breadcrumb trail starts with the main page or homepage (or category), and follows through to the current location. For example, if you were on a travel website looking at vacation packages in Hawaii, the breadcrumb trail would look like this: Home > Travel Destinations > Hawaii > Vacation Packages. Each item is linked, so if a user clicks on the “Travel Destinations” breadcrumb, they will be directed back to that landing page.

Examples of Breadcrumbs

Breadcrumbs are used by a variety of websites, from e-commerce to news outlets. Amazon displays breadcrumbs on each product page, listing the category hierarchy a product is in. Barnes & Noble uses breadcrumb trails on their website to show the order of categories on each page. CNN’s website uses breadcrumbs to display where the article is located within the news section’s hierarchy.

Common Questions and Answers

Do breadcrumbs impact SEO?

Yes, breadcrumbs can help with SEO by providing contextual information for search engine crawlers, which can improve page ranking.

Can I customize my breadcrumbs?

Yes, breadcrumbs can be customized to fit your website’s aesthetic and branding.

Are breadcrumbs only useful for large websites?

No, breadcrumbs can be useful for any website with multiple pages or categories. They help improve the user experience and decrease bounce rate.

Breadcrumbs are a simple yet powerful tool that can improve the user experience on your website. By adding breadcrumbs, you can help users navigate your site more easily, decrease bounce rate, and improve search engine optimization. Remember to keep your breadcrumbs concise, clear, and easy to navigate. Utilizing breadcrumbs can change the navigation game on your website– try them out today!