In a digital landscape with endless options, efficient and intuitive website navigation has become crucial for businesses to retain and engage customers. As a passionate UX designer, I am embarking on a comprehensive audit of Alo Yoga's navigation system to emphasize its strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for improvement. Recognizing the pivotal role navigation plays in enhancing user experience, my analysis will encompass not only the usability and coherence of Alo Yoga's navigation but also a comparative analysis against their prominent competitors. By investigating into this crucial aspect of Alo Yoga's website, my aim is to uncover actionable insights that will promote seamless exploration while fostering a competitive edge in the fast-evolving world of online retail/e-commerce.
FINDINGS
NAVIGATION - New
NAVIGATION - Women
NAVIGATION - Men
NAVIGATION - Accessories
NAVIGATION - Beauty
No Drop-down for the profile page - Perhaps it would be easier for a user to navigate exactly where on a potential profile drop-down they want to access with one click, rather than making it more work for them to find it on the profile page.
Use of Space - Items are listed to the side, content is not the first thing that attracts to the consumers’ eye. Cluttered to one side of the drop-down. Potential to use extra space for a neater way to display content.
Sale Section - “Sale” is listed at the bottom and is left out of focus. Lots of people may flock to the website to see the recent sale, and by hiding it, users are not as likely to access it and will have to search for it. I would suggest making the “Sale” section as its own section on the toolbar, with a drop-down for the sale categories.
Inconsistent Navigation - Drop-down navigation is displayed either as lists with categories, or with a list left-aligned, with images to its right. Keeping a consistent model is important.
After checking out Alo Yoga's website details, it's time to take a look at GymShark's site. We're switching gears from focusing on Alo Yoga to see how GymShark does things online. This side-by-side look helps us figure out what each brand does well and where they might need a boost. By comparing them, we're aiming to spot practical insights that can improve Alo Yoga's website navigation and make it stand out in the crowd.
COMPARISON TO GYMSHARK
NAVIGATION - Women’s Sale
NAVIGATION - Men’s Sale
NAVIGATION - Accessories Sale
NAVIGATION - Main Screen
Use of Space - GymShark does a great job with using most of the space that they have to emphasize each of their categories, as well as subcategories. Everything is labelled and split specifically to allow the user to have a seamless experience when looking for an item.
Sale Section(s) - As this audit is being done during the Black Friday sale, GymShark has obviously pushed its sales to their customers. They have organized and emphasized where their customers can find each item and have used lists effectively, which includes their images to the right where the “featured” section is.
Icon Confusion - GymShark has decided to have two different account/profile images in close proximity to each other. This can cause confusion for the user and is not needed.
No Drop-down for the profile page - *Same issue as Alo Yoga* Perhaps it would be easier for a user to navigate exactly where on a potential profile drop-down they want to access with one click, rather than making it more work for them to find it on the profile page.
Consistent Navigation - Drop-down navigation is displayed as lists with categories, as well as with images to its right that highlight their “featured” sale section. It is important to keep a consistent model
CONCLUSION
Based on the comparative UX audit of Alo Yoga and GymShark, it is evident that both brands have strengths and areas for improvement in their user experience design. Alo Yoga could benefit from utilizing space more effectively to enhance the overall user navigation and accessibility. Additionally, addressing the inconsistencies in navigation would contribute to a more seamless user experience.
On the other hand, GymShark demonstrates more efficient use of space, contributing to a better user experience. However, there is still room for improvement in visual accessibility to further enhance the user journey on their platform.
In conclusion, both Alo Yoga and GymShark have distinct areas where they excel in user experience design, as well as opportunities for enhancement. By leveraging the strengths and addressing the areas for improvement identified in this audit, both brands can continue to refine their user experience and ultimately provide greater value and satisfaction to their customers.