Site Map in the Planning Stage

A good sign that you have spent time thinking about the operation and overall structure of your website is whether you have a documented site map.

Whether paper based or in a software package such as Word or Visio a site map allows your planning efforts to take shape. Quite simply it is a document that shows each page as a box that serves a certain purpose. For example, a washing machine sales website might have a box for contact information and, of course, the home page, but also for the target audience types that it is trying to attract.

One of the first tasks that a web consultant will do is to draw up a site map for you. This might be based on your existing layout if you have a website already or might be taken from research you've done into marketing and product demand.

Importantly, without a documented sitemap your content runs the risk of becoming unfocused and, dare this author say it, rambling. Navigation can also be a problem as website visitors fail to understand the structure of the site, often because there isn't one.

If you need help with your website structure then Emerging Innovations can help, no matter what stage you're at.