Reflect

How to Organize Your Website

Our goal is to arrange all of the elements of our website into a whole of interdependent parts. Or, to form all of the text, graphics and thought into a functioning whole. Step back in your mind and get an overview of your website. Visualize it as an experience rather than a collection of text and graphics. This is where the website begins to take on shape and organization.

Starting with the main topic or keywords drill down through your webpages toward more and more detailed content. The homepage (i.e. index) is where your first arguments or website theme development should appear. From there the website pages should go deeper and deeper into the details of what you are selling, telling and/or presenting.

There are three main elements that make up the organization of a website. Each one depends upon the other. They are:

1) Structure of your website

The form of your website and its method of navigation go hand in hand. This is the framework that will support your website like your skeleton supports your body. Don't confuse structure with layout. Structure is the behind the scenes mechanics of how your website will work, not how you plan to lay it out.

All types of websites require their own individual methods of developing a website structure. This will largely depend upon your content and the principle focus or theme of your site. The best way to get started is to analyze existing websites and note the methods used by their webmasters to structure their form and function. Take notes and incorporate what you find in an original way.

2) Content and body of your website

The body and substance of your website is its content. What do you want to sell, say or present? That should be the focus of your website's content. Every thing from color to wording is what your visitors see and react to when they visit your site so be sure to spend plenty of time on this element of your design.

By far the most important element of any website is the text or body copy. The message that you present to your visitors and the search engines is totally dependant on how well you communicate through your text/content. Work your website structure around the content. Never allow your website structure to overshadow the main topic of your site.

3) Layout and presentation of your website

The method of presenting your website theme or message is determined by the layout of your individual webpages. How will you present your website? Your website can be presented in many ways. Modern , retro, colorful, etc. but be sure that your theme complements what you are trying to say.

A website is composed of individual pages. It is the collective effect of each webpage that makes a site what it is.

posted in Website Tools5.26.09