A beauty and health website brings together a wide range of content: cosmetic product pages, nutrition articles, dermatology advice and hair care routines. How visitors move between these sections depends on architectural choices that determine whether they find the information in two clicks or give up after thirty seconds of searching.
Accessible menus: a regulatory framework that changes the game
Before considering usability or design, a beauty and health website’s structure must meet legal requirements. The European Accessibility Act has applied since 28 June 2025 to certain e-commerce services. Any website selling cosmetics or dietary supplements online is directly affected.
The RGAA (General Accessibility Improvement Framework) sets out specific criteria for assessing compliance. These include the structure of section headings and keyboard navigation. A dropdown menu that opens only when users hover over it with a mouse excludes anyone using a screen reader or keyboard alone.
Building accessible sections from the outset avoids having to overhaul the entire menu after an audit. Headings should make sense out of context: “Skincare for dry skin” works better than “Our current favourites” for a screen reader listing the page’s links.
Browsing Beauty Health’s sitemap reveals an example of a clear hierarchy, with descriptive headings for each section that make it easy to find your way around, even without visual cues.
Product taxonomy on a beauty and health website: organise by need, not by brand
Most websites organise products by brand or type (cream, serum, lotion). This approach works for visitors who already know what they’re looking for, but leaves everyone else out.
A needs-based taxonomy puts visitors’ concerns at the centre: “Hydration”, “Anti-ageing”, “Skin concerns” and “Damaged hair”. This structure reflects how consumers phrase their Google searches, often in terms of a problem they want to solve.
Combine classification criteria
A single criterion isn’t enough. The best-structured websites offer several ways to find the same product:
- By body area (face, body, hair, nails), which reflects the most common way beauty shoppers search.
- By concern (acne, wrinkles, dark spots, dryness), which brings together products from different categories around the same goal.
- By product type (serum, cream, oil, dietary supplement), which is still useful for visitors familiar with their routine and looking for a specific format.
This approach requires a tagging or filtering system. Side filters work better than a five-level mega menu, which becomes difficult to read on mobile.
Editorial content hierarchy: keep product pages separate from health advice
Beauty and health websites often combine two types of pages: transactional pages (product listings and shop categories) and informational pages (blog posts, guides and topic hubs). Mixing these two types of content in the same menu can confuse visitors.
The clearest solution is to keep these areas separate. A “Shop” or “Products” tab groups everything for sale. A “Advice” or “Magazine” tab brings together editorial content. Within each area, subcategories follow the same structure, organised by body area or concern.
Linking editorial content to products
Keeping the two areas separate in the menu doesn’t mean they can’t be linked within the content. An article about anti-ageing routines can point to relevant product pages. But contextual links in the body text are a better alternative to an overloaded menu.
This internal linking also supports SEO. Google gets a clearer picture of a page’s topic when it’s connected to a cluster of related content. An article about hyaluronic acid linked to a “Hydrating serums” category and a “Routine for dehydrated skin” guide creates a semantic network that search engines value.
Cookie banner and navigation: resolving an interface conflict
On beauty and health websites, the cookie consent banner often obscures the main menu, especially on mobile. The CNIL points out that continuing to browse does not constitute valid consent to trackers: users must take a clear and unambiguous affirmative action.
A poorly positioned banner directly hinders access to site sections. When visitors have to close a modal and then scroll to find the menu again, the bounce rate inevitably rises. Two principles can reduce this friction:
- Place the banner at the bottom of the screen rather than as a central overlay, so the header and menu remain visible as soon as the page loads.
- Limit the number of options shown at the first level (accept, reject, customise) instead of stacking legal text that pushes content off-screen.
- Test the mobile layout with the hamburger menu open: if the banner overlaps the sections, navigation is broken for most visitors.
This technical detail is often addressed after launch, even though it affects access to every section of the website from the very first visit.
Internal search and filters: the shortcut most websites overlook
An effective internal search engine can make up for the limitations of any site structure. On a website offering hundreds of beauty and health products, the search bar becomes the primary navigation tool for returning visitors.
Search should handle synonyms (“sunscreen” and “sun protection”), common typos and real-time suggestions. Post-search filters (price, skin type, format, rating) refine the results without making visitors rephrase their query.
A simple metric can help assess how well this feature works: the no-results search rate. If it exceeds a significant threshold, section headings and product pages are probably using different terminology from visitors. Aligning the website’s language with consumers’ actual search terms solves both problems at once: internal search and organic search visibility.
Navigation on a beauty and health website depends on structural decisions made upfront: a needs-based taxonomy, a clear separation between editorial and transactional content, RGAA-compliant accessibility, and a cookie banner that doesn’t block the menu. Each of these elements should be tested on mobile before launch, where most traffic is concentrated.
