Get Your Visitors Where They Want to Go with WordPress Taxonomy
Have you ever wandered aimlessly through a website, searching for the content you need, only to give up in frustration? Don’t let your visitors suffer the same fate. With WordPress taxonomy, you can create intuitive navigation menus that guide users to the content they’re looking for. But what is taxonomy, and how can it help you create better navigation menus? Read on to find out.
What is WordPress Taxonomy?
In a nutshell, WordPress taxonomy is the practice of organizing and classifying content based on shared characteristics. In the context of WordPress, this means creating categories and tags that can be applied to your content to make it easier to find and organize. For example, if you have a website that sells books, you might create categories for different genres (mystery, romance, science fiction, etc.) and tags for different authors (Stephen King, J.K. Rowling, Neil Gaiman, etc.).
How Can WordPress Taxonomy Improve Navigation Menus?
When you create a custom navigation menu in WordPress, you can include links to pages or posts based on their taxonomy terms. This means that visitors can easily find all of your content related to a particular category or tag by clicking on the corresponding link in your navigation menu.
For example, if you have a category called “Mystery”, you can add a link to that category in your navigation menu, and visitors can click on it to see all of your content related to mystery novels.
The Importance of Taxonomy Hierarchy
But creating a custom navigation menu with WordPress taxonomy isn’t just about adding a bunch of links in a row. To create a truly intuitive and organized navigation menu, you need to think about the structure and hierarchy of your taxonomy terms. This means creating a logical flow that guides visitors from the broadest category down to the most specific content.
Creating a Taxonomy Hierarchy
So how do you create a taxonomy hierarchy that works for your website? It all starts with understanding the relationships between your taxonomy terms. For example, if you have a website about cooking, you might create categories for different types of cuisine (Italian, Mexican, Chinese, etc.) and tags for different ingredients (pasta, chicken, rice, etc.). You could then create a top-level menu item called “Cuisine”, with sub-items for each of your cuisine categories.
Under each cuisine category, you could include links to the relevant ingredient tags. This creates a logical flow that guides visitors from the broadest category (cuisine) down to the most specific content (a page about recipes using chicken in Italian cuisine).
Other Tips for Creating Intuitive Navigation Menus
In addition to creating a taxonomy hierarchy, there are a few other tips to keep in mind when creating navigation menus. First, keep your menu items concise and descriptive. Instead of using vague labels like “Resources” or “Information”, use specific labels that describe what visitors will find when they click on the link, such as “How-To Guides” or “FAQs”. Second, limit the number of menu items to around seven or eight. Any more than that, and your menu can start to feel overwhelming. Finally, make sure your menu is visible and easy to find. Ideally, your menu should be located at the top of your website and accessible from every page.
Wrapping Up
With WordPress taxonomy, creating intuitive navigation menus is easier than ever. By creating a taxonomy hierarchy and using descriptive labels, you can guide visitors to the content they’re looking for and create a better user experience. So the next time you’re designing a website, don’t forget about the power of taxonomy.
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