You may be wondering if adding faceted search to your site means that you have to get rid of your local left navigation? The quick answer is no. In fact, you shouldn't get rid of it. Both local left navigation and faceted search provide an essential aid to customers searching for the right product. Take a look at just about any major retailer's site, and you'll see that the local left navigation and faceted search work in tandem.

What is Local Left Navigation and Faceted Search?

Local left navigation is a dynamic navigation that is housed on the left-hand side of each of your product or service pages. This navigation dynamically presents related product or service categories, based on the page a user visits. With this navigation conveniently located, it provides a positive user experience for your customers and ultimately can lead to an increase in leads on your site.

Faceted Search allows your customers to filter extensive product lists in a matter of seconds. Ecreative has created a custom faceted search functionality allowing users to refine product results with just a few clicks and find exactly what they need. Faceted search is located under the local left navigation and is organized by your determined product specifications.

How do Local Left and Faceted Search Work Together?

Both the local left navigation and faceted search create a positive user experience for your customers. But when paired together they both become even more effective. The local left navigation helps direct customers to the category of products they are looking for. Once customers enter a category, faceted search can take over and help them drill down to find the exact product they need. 

For example, the local left navigation shown below helps the customers find which category of 3M product they need. The faceted search in the second image below helps them filter to find the right product within that category.

Faceted search is a great functionality to have on any e-commerce site. But getting rid of your local left navigation when you add faceted search is not the answer! Your site will perform optimally when you have both a local left navigation and faceted search. They complement each other well and also create a user friendly experience that can lead to an increase of purchases on your site.

What if I Don't Add Faceted Search to My Site?

The reality is, faceted search is the present and future of e-commerce. If you don't add it to your site, you risk falling behind the competition. You also risk losing customers to other sites. Providing a fast, easy way to filter through thousands of products on your site is essential to keep users engaged through the sales process. Without a filtering functionality on your site, the likelihood of losing customers increases all together.

Whether you sell Nike sneakers or vented screws, the lesson is the same: adapt to changes in the marketplace or fall behind the competition.Today, most companies have sophisticated sites that feature innovative web design elements like -- you guessed it! -- local left navigation and faceted search. The smartest thing you can do is pair your local left navigation with faceted search now and improve your site’s usability and in turn, increase ecommerce sales

Ready to pair Faceted Search with your Local Left navigation?

Great! Contact Ecreative to get started. Our team will provide the tools you need to create a more engaging and user-friendly experience tailored to your specific product and service needs.