Establishing a website plan is an important task, but difficult to do. Organizing content and prioritizing takes time and requires teamwork.
Despite the good quality of the presentation of a website, your objective could not be achieved without navigation . That said, the tree structure should not be neglected when creating your website. To be able to create a good structure for your site, read until the end.
What is a website tree?
A website tree diagram that is used to organize its content. It is presented in the form of a diagram structuring the pages into sections. It also defines the different navigation levels . Thanks to this plan, visitors will be able to easily access the page that interests them.
When creating a website, the tree structure is the first step to design. Once set up, it allows the team to have an overview of the site. They then need to check the pages and produce graphic models and prototypes.
What should a website tree contain?
The first challenge a business must face is listing the content to organize. The navigation system of the site is based on various media. Here are examples:
- main navigation menu : may contain a secondary menu appearing at the first view of the main menu.
- secondary navigation menu : this is the child menu of the item selected in the main menu. It can also be a completely different menu.
- internal search engine : having one or more search links
- sidebar : used to promote horizontal navigation from products or article suggestions,
- footer : giving access to the main categories of the site or to key pages.
It should be emphasized that a tree structure makes it possible to establish an effective navigation system for all situations.
What is the use of a website tree?
The tree has several functions for a website.
Improved natural indexing
In SEO , the tree structure plays a vital role, both in the hierarchy of pages and on an overall level. Indeed, search engines , notably Google , use algorithms to analyze the pages of a website. This is where the tree structure is necessary, because the hierarchy of the site guides the Google algorithm. If the architecture is consistent, the search engine will quickly understand how your site works and the content it offers. As a result, it will give these pages good indexing and optimal positioning in relation to a given query.
A site with a clear structure therefore ranks higher on pages in search results.
Guide for visitors
Certainly, organizing a huge amount of information is difficult. However, its management can be improved little by little by setting up the tree structure . If the site is well structured, visitors can easily navigate from one page to another. In this case, they will be able to easily find what they came to look for on the site. Note that when a visitor spends less time on a site, the chances of generating conversions increase.
How to design the tree structure of your website?
First of all, the tree structure of a website is based on the identification of one or more personas . This involves determining the typical profile of people who will probably be interested in browsing your site. Then, to offer them a friendly experience, the company must put itself in the shoes of these potential visitors. Depending on their behavior, you will list, prioritize and classify your content in a logical order.
List the contents of your site
First, the elements you want to appear on your website must be listed . To do this, you must be as comprehensive as possible. That is, collect everything you want to put on your site in a folder. Then, organize them by theme or ideas, not by pages. primary content type up front . Once the inventory is completed, you may have a clearer view of the site hierarchy .
Analyze your competitors’ tree
The tree structure of your competitors' sites is often a great source of inspiration, which contains very useful information. Analyzing their website will allow you to verify an idea that you probably forgot during your inventory. In addition, it will give you ideas for properly organizing your content.
Organize and classify your content
To bring the content of your site to life, there are two modes of reasoning to follow.
- The bottom-up approach : It consists of focusing on each type of content identified. Then, we must combine elements of the same type to reason in a general way.
- The top-down approach : It consists of initially defining the first level of hierarchy, then going down slowly. The overall vision must always be maintained.
These two approaches are complementary. However, care must be taken to be consistent in the prioritization of content. For your information, the first rule to follow for a good organization is not to exceed three levels . Obviously, the home page must be level 1. The second rule is that the visitor must be able to find what they are looking for in 3 clicks.
Formalize the tree structure and put it to the test
The last step in designing the tree is its formalization . It's best to write down initial thoughts on paper . Once the general structure is established, you can edit it via software .
As soon as the tree structure is formalized, it should be tested and put to the test against reality. To do this, the best technique is to define scenarios and identify the website navigation for each of them.
Designing the tree structure of a website is an important phase, because it is the skeleton of your site. You must indeed structure and prioritize your content to direct visitors from one page to another targeted one. Additionally, with a well-organized sitemap, search engines will understand your content more easily.
