Some Principles of Website Organisation
The structure of a website is composed of the different sections that make up the site together with the navigation between these sections. The fundamental point is that the structure needs to be logical and easy to follow.
At the same time, however, devising a structure for a website isn't the obscure rocket science some "web-masters" might seem to want to have you believe. It is the content that you want to have in your site that provides its shape.
In its essence, website design is about laying out content so that it can be easily read. Then, it's about organising that content so that it can be easily navigated and the visitor can find what he or she wants to find. Or, and this is an important point not always emphasised enough - what you want the visitor to your site to be able to find. It is through the structure of the site and how the content is presented that you actually manipulate the visitor to find what you want them to see and to take the action you require of them.
Basic Website Structure
There is a basic way of looking at how a website is built and this involves dividing the information you want to appear on your website into categories. These will make up the pages of the site.
The sub-categories emerge as any one of the main categories becomes over-laden with too much content. When that content looks better when divided into sub-sections you have the sub-categories or next layer of pages on the site.
There are specific pages that will be common to many basic websites.
- A main point of entry, often called a "Home" page. This will probably have the menus allowing navigation to the other main categories on the site.
- The pages showing the products/services your business deals in. These can then divide off into a hierarchy of sub-categories if you need to display long or complex product ranges.
- A contact page, with details of how you want to be contacted, and maybe with directions of how to find you if appropriate.
- Further information pages. The background that they contain might not be product specific but it backs up who you are and can be attractive to search engine spiders as well as to human visitors. They might have an "About Us" section, FAQs, testimonials or examples of work, a newsletter or blog, or additional resources relevant to your business.
Devising Categories For Your Website
Make a list of the main categories you want on your site. These will be the first set of main, easily accessible, pages into which the site's most important content is organised. Most sites will have between 3 and 7 of these pages.
As you work on these, it helps to have an idea of what subject matter is going to come under each category. It will not, in the end, be simply a label. At the same time, as content on a web-page, the subject matter will need to be kept short and descriptive. Take each main category and record a few words that cover the subject matter it will contain (eg an "About Us' section for a Gym website might contain short autobiographies for each of the instructors).
Where it looks as though there will be substantial content under any one category, it's time to think about dividing it into sub-categories.
Conclusion
The structure for your website is not an overly complex part of the process. Once you have identified and devised an idea of what information you need the site to communicate it is simply about organising the information into relevant categories. These will form the basis of structuring the pages on the website.