CRO Manifesto
Use Collections as Main Navigation Dropdowns
guideline #
210
Use Collections as Main Navigation Dropdowns
context
If your store has a large number of SKUs, listing individual products in dropdowns will overwhelm users and make navigation cluttered. This slows down browsing and creates decision fatigue.
Why?
Instead of listing products, structure your main navigation around collections (e.g., "Running Shoes," "Winter Jackets," "Best Sellers"). This keeps the menu clean, helps users find relevant categories faster, and streamlines their shopping journey.
Content
- Your store has 50+ products across multiple categories and dropdown menus feel overwhelming
- Navigation bounce rate exceeds 40% or users spend less than 10 seconds browsing categories
- You're seeing high exit rates on collection pages with low click-through to individual products
- Your main navigation currently lists individual products or has more than 8-10 items per dropdown
- You have sufficient traffic (500+ monthly visitors) to measure meaningful navigation improvements
Transform your navigation structure to focus on collections rather than individual products for cleaner user experience.
- Audit your current navigation: In Shopify Admin, go to Online Store > Navigation. Document all current menu items and their performance in Google Analytics under Behavior > Site Content.
- Create strategic collections: Navigate to Products > Collections. Build collections around user intent like "Best Sellers," "New Arrivals," or product categories like "Running Shoes." Aim for 5-8 main collections maximum.
- Restructure your menu: In Navigation settings, replace product links with collection URLs. Keep dropdown width at 200-250px for desktop, ensure touch targets are minimum 44px for mobile.
- Optimize collection hierarchy: Use this structure - Main Category > Subcollection > Products. For example: "Footwear" > "Running Shoes" > Individual products.
- Test mobile experience: Ensure dropdowns convert to clean accordion menus on mobile. Use
@media (max-width: 768px)breakpoints for responsive behavior.
Implementation timeline: 2-4 hours for setup, 1-2 weeks for testing and refinement.
- Navigation engagement: Track 15-25% increase in clicks from main navigation to collection pages within 3-4 weeks
- Browse-to-purchase rate: Monitor 10-20% improvement in users who visit 2+ collection pages before purchasing
- Time on collection pages: Expect 20-30% increase in average session duration on collection pages
- Mobile navigation usage: Measure using Google Analytics Enhanced Ecommerce events and heatmap tools like Hotjar
- AVOID: Creating too many collection categories (10+) which recreates the original overwhelming problem. BEST PRACTICE: Limit to 5-8 main collections with clear, distinct purposes.
- AVOID: Using vague collection names like "Products" or "Items." BEST PRACTICE: Use specific, benefit-driven names like "Workout Essentials" or "Cold Weather Gear."
- AVOID: Forgetting to redirect old product-based navigation URLs. BEST PRACTICE: Set up 301 redirects in Shopify for any existing bookmarked navigation links.
- AVOID: Making collections too broad or narrow. BEST PRACTICE: Aim for 8-25 products per collection to provide choice without overwhelming users.
Get A Free Website Audit.
We’ll identify what’s leaking revenue on your site and show you how to fix it. The free audit includes:
Live Website Walkthrough
Technical Analysis
Conversion Checklist
Key Section Redesigns
Industry & ICP Research
Implementation Plan
Work with the #1 Team That gets you predictable results.
Strategy
DESIGN
COPYWRITING
DEVELOPMENT
Free Audit & Redesign
Get a Free Audit
See the difference for yourself. We’ll identify what’s leaking revenue on your site and show you how to fix it.
Free Forever
130+ Optimizations
Section Redesigns
CRO Strategy Call
Talk to Glued
This isn’t a sales call. It’s a hands-on teardown session where we walk through exactly what’s holding your site back and what fixing it would mean for your revenue.
No Sales Pitch
ROI Projections
Free CRO Strategy