How to create a great sitemap for your website
Before you start any website project – whether it’s a new website or a redesign – the first step is to create an effective sitemap. Creating a great sitemap for your website can help you to guide your visitors with ease. Remember, finding the right information easily means creating a positive experience for your users and therefore a longer visit. Here are some top tips on creating the perfect sitemap for your business:
Go with what you know
Already have an existing website? Then no need to start from scratch! Take the headings from your current sitemap structure and jot them down on a piece of paper. If you’re starting from scratch write down what information you think you need for visitors. This is the best place to start in forming the basis for your sitemap.
Who are you talking to?
Next you need to figure out your target audiences. Write a list of people you want to visit your website – it varies for every business but it could be people from particular industries, age groups, locations or positions within a company. By knowing who you are talking to, you will be able to direct them better through different channels on your website.
Check out the competition
Take a look at what your main competitors are doing. Have a peak at their website and take note of any interesting pages, content or features that you think would be worth including on your website. Take particular note of what they have highlighted on their homepage and how this leads visitors through their website.
Follow the leader
This is one of the most important steps and one that companies often leave out. Take the headings and information you have accumulated from the first three steps of this exercise and create a spreadsheet.
Your target audience determines the homepage content – who are they and what information do you want to guide them towards? If you have more than one target audience in mind, consider channeling them into different areas using clear call to actions.
Don’t play hide & seek with your content, if it’s important information make sure it’s easy to find. Take your spreadsheet and figure out the most logical positions for information. Check with your colleagues to get their input and ensure you show someone whose not involved in the project as well to see if the structure makes sense to them.
The key to words
Your page names are vital to help with search engine optimisation. At this early stage you should already be thinking about the keywords you want to be searched for on engines such as google, yahoo and bing. Try and incorporate these into your page names and page headings as this will help you gain a higher ranking for those terms.
Location, location, location
People often forget the information which goes into a header or a footer on their website. These are great areas to include vital information and links as they will be throughout your website.
The header is prime website real estate for call to actions (for example a “Request a callback” form, “Get a quote now” link or a “Login” button).
Your footer is a great place to include information such as contact details, newsletter signup forms, popular downloads and links to internal pages on your website.
These top tips should help you to create a great sitemap for your any new website design.
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