When you embark on creating or redesigning a website, it's crucial to start by defining the site's architecture. Poor organization can have serious repercussions, such as losing potential customers who can't find what they're looking for. But how do you go about structuring your site effectively?
STEP 1: GATHERING ALL YOUR CONTENT
Start by listing all the content you plan to feature on your website, whether it's existing content or what you intend to create. For instance, for an e-commerce site, this includes various product ranges, product information, company presentations, news, etc. At this stage, the goal is simply to have a comprehensive list of your content, without worrying about organizing it. Use a tool such as an Excel file for this task.
Tip: Reviewing your competitors' websites can help ensure you're not overlooking any crucial content for your industry.
STEP 2: CLASSIFICATION AND CATEGORIZATION OF CONTENT
It's essential to identify the different types of content your site should offer visitors. For an e-commerce site, this means distinguishing between product or service-related content, company-related content, and reassurance elements. You can then determine primary and secondary information. However, classifying these contents adequately is a complex process.
Once you've established the site's basic structure, you need to incorporate all the content you've listed in the previous step in a relevant manner.
A commonly used method for prioritizing content is card sorting. It involves a collaborative workshop where experts and/or users group content on cards or post-its, organizing them logically to form a coherent structure for the site.
Tip: To ensure the quality of your architecture, it's important to design the site map based on user needs, not just your personal preferences. A well-thought-out hierarchy improves user experience and reduces bounce rates.
Once your content is sorted and organized, you can formalize this structure visually, as shown in the diagram below.
STEP 3: USER EXPERIENCE EVALUATION
It's time to test your architecture with users who represent your target audience. Their feedback will be more relevant than that of your company members. If you can't conduct tests with real users, you can create representative personas and use these fictional profiles to evaluate your hierarchy.
Arm yourself with your personas and hierarchy to evaluate user navigation and their ability to achieve their goals on your site. The goal is to check the usability of your site and ensure users can easily find what they're looking for.
Tip: For an even more precise visualization of the user journey, conduct tests using functional wireframes, providing an almost real-life simulation of the user experience.
In summary, a well-thought-out hierarchy ensures that different types of users on your site can easily access the information they need. With a clear and intuitive structure, you provide a quality experience to your visitors.
If you're considering creating or redesigning your website, or if you'd like to learn more about our services, feel free to contact us at 07 45 00 95 00 or via our contact form available on our website.