Ontology-Based Adaptive and Customizable Navigation Method in Online Retailing Websites

Different users need different navigation designs to facilitate effective communication. Simplifying the navigation interfaces and help consumers find and purchase products with ease is a big challenge. This work proposes a novel navigation method integrating adaptive and customizable approaches. The proposed method comprises the metadata and a set of conflict detection rules. The metadata defines the structure of adaptation and customization rules. The conflict detection rules analyze inconsistencies between adaptation and customization rules. Ontology is the theoretical foundation in the proposed navigation method. Navigation module ontology, webpage area ontology, priority ontology, role ontology, and personal characteristics ontology are used in this method to provide semantic information for conflict detection rule execution. A scenario of checkout process in an online store is also provided in this paper. In the expectation, this method can provide a convenient way for online retailing websites to simplify navigation interfaces according to evolving organizational and personal knowledge.