Websites 101: Part 3 – Importance of Site Maps

When you start working out the front end of your website design , there is one key tool that will assist you in ensuring the user experience is smooth and logical.

It’s called a site map.

What’s a site map? Well, it’s much like the name says really. A site map is an outline of your entire site and it usually looks something like a concept map. By building the site map step by step, you’ll be able to understand the way your website visitors move through your website.

Why Build A Site Map

Site maps force you to think from your customer’s perspective. When a customer lands on your homepage, what options do they have? If they are looking for a particular product, how quickly can they get to it? The more layers and spokes your site map has, the more likely your website will be too confusing. However, if it doesn’t have enough, your user may not know how to find the product they need.

Just remember, that a site map will be different for each device you build your website for. Make sure you incorporate mobile website design tips into the site maps for your other platforms.

How To Build A Site Map

Step 1: Think from your customer’s perspective. When they land on your webpage, what options do they want to see?
Step 2: Draw a box representing your home page. Now draw underneath that box, all the options the visitor has, ie: ‘Contact Us’, ‘Products’, ‘Who We are’, etc.
Step 3: Underneath each of these boxes, draw the next options available to the consumer. Ie: under Products, you might break this up into ‘Womens’ and ‘Mens’. Continue this process until you have mapped out your entire site.

What Makes A Good Site Map

A good site map is nearly as wide as it is deep. This ensures you have given enough options without being overwhelming. It also ensure there are not too many clicks for a visitor before they can arrive at the page they want.

Ask someone unfamiliar with your business to ‘walk through’ the site map with a particular goal for instance: finding a pair of women’s shoes. They must go through, choosing a different option at each point. Is there any way of making it quicker for them to reach their goal?

Taking the time to develop a site map will make the website design and development process go much more smoothly regardless of the type of website design agencies you are working with. When you have worked out a great site map, the design will lay over it very nicely.

For someone experienced in using site maps to develop successful business website designs, you have to talk to Complete Cloud.