Site Map First

All the research, design skills and interactive mumbo jumbo isn’t going to get you anywhere online if you don’t organize your content correctly, and plan you site map. A site map is an organizational chart that defines the structure of your main pages, and all of the sub pages (secondary pages).

Content Outlines Next

The second part that should accompany your site map is an outline of your content, or page structure. Your content outline should define the direction that you want to take your visitors. What calls to action will you use on each page, if a user is on the about us page where would you like them to go next or what options are you going to give them?

Starting your site map

When developing your site map the first step is to just write out a list of pages that you will have on your website. These pages are defined by who will be visiting, the purpose and objectives of your site and what specifically you’re providing to your visitors.

Here are some tips for putting your site map together:

• Grab a piece of paper and a pen or pencil.
• Draw a box near the top and label it "home page"
• Under the home page box create a box for every major section of your site, such as: about us, products, FAQ, links and contact. These are the main pages.
• Draw lines between them and the home page to indicate that they should be linked from the home page.
• Then under each section, add boxes for additional pages (secondary pages) you would like in that section and draw lines from those boxes to the section box.
• Continue creating boxes to represent Web pages and drawing lines to connect them to the other pages until you have every page you want on your website listed.

Work to organize your pages underneath much like other websites are organized. We do this because visitors are used to looking for certain information on certain pages. It’s common knowledge now that if you want to find out what type of auto services an auto shop offers you click on services.

Outlining your page content

Once you get your first version of your site map ready then you can start your content outline for these pages. Keep in mind that the site map and content might change while you start creating this plan.

Tips for writing your content outline

• Come up with ideas of engaging visitors
• Grab their attention with headlines that make them want to go further
• Explain why they need what you have to offer, or a possible problem their having and your solution to it
• Announce the good stuff up-front and don’t make them read to the end
• Remember your user profiles (personas) and keep in mind why they are visiting, and then support them
• Don’t state something you can’t backup

Ideas for your home page content

• The job of the home page is really to give a brief outline of the rest of the website.
• What do you want people to know when they first visit your site? Make it clear.
• Where do you want them to go next?
• Are you going to have a small form on the home page?
• What can you do to engage them to go further into the site?
• Do you have a newsletter?
• Should they register for something?
• Are you showcasing a product, or specific project?
• Write it all down in the content outline. Be brief and don’t make it too lengthy. It’s just an outline that you will expand later.

Next go to the about us page.

• Write a brief outline of what will go on the about us page and what link you might have on the page to take the visitor to other pages of the site.
• Who you are
• What you do
• Missions statement
• Link to contact page
• Link to team members, etc…

Now do that for all of the pages. Make sure to list if some pages have links to each other, external links, area to view photos, area for links to facebook or other social networking profiles. If there is going to be a tool, like financial calculator, for users, or a game, like pong, on a certain page make sure to list that in the content outline.

A great example of organized content

Here is an awesome example of how a lot of content was organized extremely well with the San Francisco Airport Website. Click here. Pay attention to the first level of pages, the second level of pages then a third level of pages. It’s a ton of information but I find it very easy to navigate through the website and find what I need.

Research and more research

Make sure you research what other companies are doing on their websites, how they organize information, what they do well, what they don’t do well, what you like and don’t like. This will help you decide on some things to do for you website.

Don't lose sight of your goal

Whatever you decide for you pages or content outline make sure you keep referring back to your website purpose and objectives. Don’t stray off path, because if you do then you’re users will also stray off path and leave your website.

Stay tuned to part 5: Making a beautiful website design that works.