You are looking for specific information on a website, but you are going in circles between menus without finding it. This situation often occurs when the site’s structure is not readable at first glance. The site Le Bon Sens organizes its content according to a logic that deserves to be deciphered to save time on each visit.
The sitemap as a navigation entry point
Before clicking on each menu item, there is a shortcut that few visitors use: the site map, also known as the sitemap. This page lists all the available sections and sub-pages, grouped by theme.
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Specifically, consulting the structure of the Le Bon Sens site allows you to visualize all the proposed content at a glance. Instead of navigating blindly, you can directly spot the section that corresponds to your needs.
The sitemap functions like a book’s table of contents: it shows the chapters, sub-chapters, and lets you jump to the right page. On a website, this approach avoids back-and-forth between dropdown menus and the browser’s “back” button.
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Navigation by search intent on a structured site
Well-organized sites do not classify their pages according to their own internal logic. They group them according to what the visitor is trying to accomplish. This principle has a name: intent-based navigation.
You arrive at Le Bon Sens with a specific goal, for example, understanding a sector, finding a local producer, or reading an in-depth article. Each section corresponds to a type of visitor need, not to a corporate organizational chart.
Why this choice? Because a visitor does not think in administrative categories. They think in questions: “where can I find this product?”, “how does this circuit work?”. A structure that aligns with these questions shortens the journey.
The role of categories in the user journey
The categories of a site act like directional signs. If there are too many, the visitor hesitates. If they are too vague, they do not know where to click.
A good site limits its main categories to a handful of clear sections. Each then leads to more specific sub-pages. This short hierarchy, often spanning two or three levels, ensures that any page remains accessible within a few clicks from the homepage.
- The main sections cover the major themes of the site, visible in the navigation menu.
- The sub-categories refine the topic, for example, a type of product or a geographical region.
- The content pages (articles, sheets) constitute the last level, where detailed information can be found.
Reading the menu and visual cues on Le Bon Sens
The navigation menu remains the first tool a visitor uses. On a site like Le Bon Sens, the menu directly reflects the sitemap’s structure. Each menu entry corresponds to a branch of the overall structure.
In practice, hovering over or clicking on a menu item displays the associated sub-items. This functionality, seemingly classic, is only effective if the labels are explicit.
Menu labels and common vocabulary
A label like “Our commitments” says little. A label like “Local producers” or “Short circuits” immediately guides you. The best labels use the words that the visitor would type into a search engine.
When you browse the menu of the Le Bon Sens site, observe whether the terms used correspond to your own words. If so, navigation will be smooth. If a term seems vague to you, the sitemap remains your safety net to find the right page.
Mobile navigation and structure adaptation
The majority of visitors access websites from a phone. On a smaller screen, the site’s structure does not change, but its presentation adapts.
The menu typically folds behind an icon (the three horizontal bars, sometimes called “hamburger”). The categories then display in a vertical list. On mobile, each additional level in the hierarchy adds a click, making the short hierarchy even more valuable.
- Check that the menu opens easily with a touch, without a click area that is too small.
- Look for a breadcrumb trail appearing at the top of the page: it indicates your position in the structure (Home > Category > Sub-page).
- Use the search function if the site offers one, to access specific content directly.
- Consult the sitemap if in doubt: it remains accessible on mobile as well as on a computer.
The breadcrumb trail, a position marker
The breadcrumb trail is that line of clickable text that appears under the menu, such as “Home > Section > Current page”. It serves two functions: to position you in the hierarchy and to allow you to move up a level without returning to the homepage.
This marker is particularly useful on content-rich sites. If Le Bon Sens displays a breadcrumb trail, use it to navigate between levels without losing your reading context.
Leveraging the structure for quick finding
Understanding how a site organizes its pages transforms the way you browse it. Instead of fumbling around, you identify the right path from the start.
On Le Bon Sens, the combination of the main menu, the sitemap, and the breadcrumb trail covers most navigation needs. The sitemap provides the overview, the menu guides current navigation, and the breadcrumb trail repositions you when you explore deeply.
Taking thirty seconds to identify these three elements on any site is usually enough to make all your subsequent visits faster and more direct.