Creating a website plan is an important but difficult task. Organizing and prioritizing content takes time and requires teamwork.
Despite a well-designed website , your goal cannot be achieved without navigation . Therefore, site structure should not be overlooked when creating your website. To learn how to create a good structure , read on.
What is the site structure of a website?
A website's site map is a type of diagram used to organize its content. It is presented as a diagram structuring pages into sections. It also defines the different levels of navigation . Thanks to this map, visitors can easily access the page they are looking for.
When creating a website, the site map is the first step to design. Once established, it allows the team to have an overview of the site. They then need to check the pages and produce graphic mockups and prototypes.
What should a website's site structure contain?
The first challenge a company faces is listing the content to be organized. The website's navigation system is based on various platforms. Here are some examples:
- Main navigation menu : may contain a secondary menu that appears on the first view of the main menu.
- Secondary navigation menu : This is the submenu of the item selected in the main menu. It can also be a completely different menu.
- internal search engine : having one or more search links
- Sidebar : used to promote horizontal navigation from products or article suggestions.
- footer : providing access to the main categories of the site or to key pages.
It should be emphasized that a tree structure makes it possible to establish an effective navigation system for all situations.
What is the purpose of a website's structure?
The site map serves several functions for a website.
Improvement of natural indexing
In SEO, site structure plays a crucial role, both in the hierarchy of pages and in the overall ranking. Search engines, particularly Google, use algorithms to analyze a website's pages. This is where site structure becomes essential, as the site's hierarchy guides Google's algorithm. If the architecture is coherent, the search engine will quickly understand how your site works and the content it offers. Consequently, it will give these pages good indexing and optimal ranking for a given search query.
A site with a clear structure is therefore better ranked in search results pages
Visitor's Guide
Admittedly, organizing a huge amount of information is difficult. However, its management can be gradually improved by implementing a site map. If the site is well-structured, visitors can easily navigate from one page to another. In this case, they will be able to easily find what they came to the site looking for. Note that when a visitor spends less time on a site, the chances of generating conversions increase.
How to design the structure of your website?
First, a website's structure is based on identifying one or more personas. This involves determining the typical profile of people who are likely to be interested in browsing your site. Then, to offer them a user-friendly experience, the company must put itself in the shoes of these potential visitors. Based on their behavior, you will list, prioritize, and organize your content in a logical order.
List the contents of your site
First, the elements you want to include on your website must be listed . To do this, you need to be as comprehensive as possible. That is, gather everything you want to put on your site into a folder. Then, organize them by theme or idea, not by page. Identify the main type of content from the outset . Once the inventory is complete, you should have a clearer view of the site's hierarchy .
Analyze your competitors' website structure
' website structures competitors are often a great source of inspiration, containing valuable information. Analyzing their websites will allow you to verify ideas you may have overlooked during your initial inventory. Furthermore, it will provide you with insights into how to effectively organize your own content.
Organize and categorize your content
To bring your website content to life, there are two ways of thinking to follow.
- The bottom-up approach : This involves focusing on each type of content identified. Then, elements of the same type must be combined to reason in a general way.
- The top-down approach : This involves initially defining the first level of the hierarchy, then working down slowly. The overall vision must always be maintained.
These two approaches are complementary. However, it's essential to maintain consistency in your content hierarchy. For your information, the first rule for good organization is to limit yourself to three levels. Naturally, the homepage should be level 1. The second rule is that visitors should be able to find what they're looking for in three clicks.
Formalize the tree structure and test it
The final step in designing the tree structure is its formalization. It's best to write down your initial thoughts on paper. Once the general structure is established, you can edit it using software.
Once the site map is finalized, it should be tested and validated against real-world conditions. The best way to do this is to define scenarios and identify the website navigation for each one.
Designing a website is a crucial phase, as it forms the skeleton of your site. You must structure and prioritize your content effectively to guide visitors from one page to another. Furthermore, a well-organized site map helps search engines understand your content more easily.
