The structure of a website is one of the things that a visitor tends not to notice when everything is working well. They just find the information, go to the service, check the price or sign. But when the structure is weak, people get lost quickly. Then even a nice design doesn't help much. Most of the time, it's a simple question. What to put on the website and how to arrange everything so that there is no chaos.
Start with the goal, not menu items
A common mistake is to start with the menu. Home, services, prices, about us, contacts. It looks neat, but it's not yet clear what the person needs to do and what information is most important to them. Understand the purpose first.
An article on this is very helpful, how to clarify your website goals. When the goal is clear, the menus and pages are much calmer.
For example, if the aim is to receive enquiries about a service, the website should contain a clear explanation of the service, elements of trust, the logic of the price and the path to contact. If the aim is to sell products, the structure is different. It is important to stress that there is no one-size-fits-all template.
The user journey must be short and clear
The user path shows how a person moves from the first visit to the action. It is important that the person does not have to guess where to click next. It can come via Google, via social networks, via a recommendation or directly to a service page. In each case, it must be clear to them where they are and what to do next.
If you have already planned your home pages, it's worth checking whether you really need them. Read more about this in what pages are necessary for each website.
The site menu must not be overloaded
A website menu should help, not show you everything you have. If there are too many items on the menu, the visitor starts reading instead of moving around. Often a few clear choices are enough, and deeper information can be put on internal pages.
Pricing information, service groups and articles must have their own place. If you are considering a price page, it is also useful to read the article whether it's worth having a separate price page.
Structure helps SEO too
Google understands a website more easily when the topics are arranged logically. Service pages, related articles, categories and internal links work together. If everything is put together haphazardly, some of the content remains weak, even if the text itself is good.
It is therefore worth planning the structure together with the content. Here is a very related article on content strategy for the new website. Without a content plan, the structure often becomes just a menu scheme rather than a real visitor path.
Simple structural framework
- the title page explains the gist and directs you further
- service pages respond to specific needs
- price or process page reduces uncertainty
- articles help answer questions and boost SEO
- internal links connect related topics
If the structure is already in place and the website is up and running, it's worth checking whether it's working. This article helps how to assess whether a website is actually working.
Structure is worth drawing on human issues
In practice, it is useful to start with questions rather than menu items. What the person wants to understand first. What he is comparing. What he is afraid of. What information does he need before making contact. From these questions, the pages and their order emerge very quickly.
For example, if a visitor chooses a website development service, it is usually important to see examples of work, understand the logic behind the pricing, the process and the deadlines. If everything is hidden under a single „Services“ page, it's up to the visitor to dig out the answers. Some people won't.
- Write down the most frequent customer questions
- assign a page or block to each important issue
- keep only the most important choices on the menu
- put less important explanations in articles or on internal pages
Minimum page map for small business
Small service businesses usually don't need a very complex structure. But it needs to be clear. The home page introduces the direction, the service pages explain the solutions, the pricing page helps to estimate the budget, the projects or testimonials build trust, and the blog answers questions that are not yet ready for purchase.
If everything is crammed into one long page, it is up to the individual to choose what is important to them. This can work for a very simple offer, but becomes more difficult as services grow. The structure then needs to help the person move through the decision calmly, rather than looking pretty on a menu bar.
- front page with clear direction
- individual pages for key services
- price or pricing explanation page
- drafts, testimonials or other evidence of trust
- articles that answer common questions
When to revisit the structure
Structure is not forever. It has to change when a business starts to offer new services, when more articles are published or when visitors still don't find relevant information. If you often have to send the same explanation to customers separately, it's a sign that it's missing or too hard to find.
A revision does not necessarily mean a redesign of the entire website. Sometimes it's enough to name a menu item more clearly, break up a page that's too long, or add a few internal links. Small changes to the structure can make quite a big difference to the way a person understands the offer.
Examples by site type
A service website usually needs clear service pages, an explanation of pricing and examples of work. For a restaurant, it's all about menus, location, reservations and mobile-friendliness. For a B2B website, it is more about process, experience, cases and trust.
When the structure is planned according to the type of site, it becomes more natural. There is no need to copy competitors' menus. It is better to understand what information a person wants to find before making a decision.
If you are laying out the logic of the site, it is useful to extend from How to plan the content and structure of your website. This theme also fits well with Which pages are necessary for each website?.
If you have a lot of ideas, but are not yet sure how to put them together in the structure of the website, please get in touch. You can calmly review the information and turn it into a clearer plan.
