Purchasing is not a one-second decision; it is a decision backed by the overall shopping experience. Today, people prefer things to be quick and convenient, just like online shopping. But your website will be a key factor in deciding if the user will buy from you, highlighting the experience it provides. Websites with buffer time under 3 seconds can increase conversion rates by 32%. And it is observed that 40% of users abandon a site that takes more than 3 seconds to load.
Therefore, easy navigation and one-click actions for your web visitors are vital elements supporting positive user experience and higher conversion rates.
And every website desires to offer this smooth experience, but how do you do it?
A simple answer is creating and maintaining healthy quick-links. In this blog, we will understand what quick links are in websites and what the best practices are for using quick links.
What are Quick Links?
Quick links are simple words on website pages that act just like speed dials on your cell phones. They help users travel from one part of the website to another. They act like a guide offering visitors what they need to know and looking for.
For instance, when a visitor lands on the homepage of a website of an SEO service or tool, they can access different parts of the website. The parts can be features, pricing, resources, case studies, or the about page by simply clicking on the word or button on your homepage.
When the Feature quick link is clicked, it displays a dropdown containing different features the brand has to offer, backlinking, competitor analytics, keyword research, and more.
- Quicklinks are generally present at the top left or right corners of the webpage or at the bottom of the page.
- They are not just limited to the homepage; quicklinks effectively connect web visitors to the most visited page from the landing page.
- Build an excellent internal linking structure and prefer submitting your XML sitemap to Google. By doing so, Google will display some of your most important quick links in the search results. For example, when you search for Myntra on Google, there is the first main link to the landing page, then below it are quick links like Men’s Collection, Dresses For Women, Kids Clothing, and more.
Meaning & difference between different internal linking
Quicklinks are also called internal links, but they are not the same links that are used in backlinking. Meaning the links that appear inside your content and take your user from that piece of content to another while reading.
A quick link takes a web visitor from one part of the website to another, like the homepage to the pricing page, while an internal content quick link will take visitors from one blog to another blog within the website.
Quick Link Examples
- Navigation Menu (about us, CTA, services)
- Dashboard Shortcuts
- Social Media
- E-commerce Websites
- Web Browsers (bookmarks, favorites)
- Intranet & Corporate Portals (HR information, news, collaboration tools)
- Mobile Applications (messaging, contacts, camera, settings)
Importance of Quicklinks & How They Affect User Experience
According to stats, 68% of users leave a website due to poor internal site search. Quicklinks help to reduce this bounce rate, as web visitors can easily find the most useful pages with a click. Also, quick links make your website UI structured for crawlers, which indeed is a factor in boosting website rank. When visitors see clear CTAs like Buy Now or Sign Up, they are more likely to take action, which increases conversion rate. Quicklinks also save time as users can jump straight to what they need.
How to Create or Add a Quick Link?
- Choose what you want to link to your main page, for instance, Features, Pricing, Case Studies, or News.
- Copy the page URL by opening the page in the browser and copying the link from the address bar https://yourwebsite.com/pricing
- Adding the link depends on the type of website you have. For WordPress, it is a different process, and if you are using a website builder like Wix, Shopify, etc, it is different. And if manual coding is involved, paste the code where the link must appear, and your quicklink is ready to use.
- Make sure to run a test, click it, and see if the link is working.
- You can style the links as per your web design; it can be a button or highlighted with colors according to the look of your website.
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Best Practices to Use Quicklinks
Keep your link text simple and short; generally, it is a single term like resources, help, contact us, etc. And only link important pages which you know visitors would definitely look for, such as contact, pricing, features, or blogs.
The positioning of the quicklink must be thoughtful so that it can catch the attention; often it is top, bottom, or sidebar. Do not use too many quicklinks, keep it maximum of 5 – 7 & group the similar links, for example, in a shopping website, Earrings, Bangles, Necklaces under one Jewellery.
Practice regular web checks to make sure the links are not broken or inconsistent. Adhere to your brand style and keep them mobile-friendly.
The text must be readable and clear, and you can also create quick links to understand which pages are most visited by users by using analytical tools such as Google Analytics.
In a Nutshell
Quicklinks are not just decorative texts on your websites, and it is not enough to simply place any and every link haphazardly. It needs to be placed strategically to ensure SEO and content optimization, which is a driving factor in gaining leads and increasing conversions.
Quicklinks in a website are vehicles in a buyer journey, which turn out to be a deciding factor, whether they choose to buy from you or not. If the vehicle did not make the journey comfortable, the passenger is less likely to use it again, i.e., increased bounce rate and decreased conversions.
Therefore, leverage this internal linking structure as a stepping stone to grow your website and practice a clear, updated, and well-positioned use of quick links in the SEO process. They may be small, but they have the potential to attract big revenue figures for your business.
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