The simplest definition of structure is how the pages of a site are located and are accessible to visitors for navigation. The structure is built using navigation and links, but in addition, it is connected with other elements, such as breadcrumbs, sitemaps, sections, categories, etc. A well-designed structure can help visitors to the site, as well as search engine robots, quickly find what they are looking for. The site structure also helps determine the relevance and importance of the content. With its help, a web developer can direct visitors and search engines to the most important pages and signal what his or her content is about.
The structure of the site is the layout of its main sections and pages relative to each other. This is a plan diagram that shows how the site is built, the logical link of its pages. Such a plan diagram is usually depicted graphically, in the form of blocks connected by arrows. The web developer should not confuse the external and internal structure, and the outer is the layout of the page, the location of the blocks on it (Sreedhar 254). The inner one displays the categories and affiliation of individual pages or materials. This is the internal structure that will be discussed. The structure of the site depends on what kind of site it is generally planned to do. If this is a business card site, then here is the easiest way to make a plan.
Structure
The layout of a commercial site will be much more complicated, and there are usually three-page levels: the main one, then the categories that describe the types of activities, and the third level – sub-types. The information site will have a similar structure, and only the main sections will go from the main, and each article will be a page that a user can get to, including from the main. Moreover, each chapter has practically no informational value; this is a page with links to articles. On a commercial site, each section contains important information. As for the online store, it is a structure that is complex in its organization. There will be the main page, categories, subcategories, and product cards.
Moreover, it is immediately necessary to determine which of the qualities of the product will be the main, and which are secondary. The main ones will become subcategories, and the secondary ones will go to the filters. For example, shoes can be divided into subcategories for women, children, and men. Leather or suede – can already be a filter. Just like the color – red, black, blue – this is a filter, and there is no sense in making separate categories for these properties. The good structure of the site makes it convenient not only for visitors. It will also facilitate the work of search robots, as a result, there will be no problems with indexing pages.
At the very first stage, it is recommended to analyze the sites of competitors in their niche. By examining their structure, it is possible to see that for the majority, it is similar, and if these sites are at the top, then it is optimal. A web developer can study the structure by going through the menu sections, and the task is simplified if the site has a sitemap open, and then its entire layout will be before users’ eyes. It’s important to consider which of the sections a web developer doesn’t need, or which he or she can add because they will be of interest to customers. The structure of the site begins to work out from the main page, and then a web developer needs to think about what sections and categories he or she will have. The hardest thing is adjusting the types; thus, it is important to think through them so that the division is then not empty, or contain only 2-3 materials (Sreedhar 278). However, at the same time, they should not be too large – in this case, it is easier to make another section.
If a web developer is going to promote a site using search engine optimization, then it is best to start developing a site layout after careful preparatory work. In particular, after the collection of the semantic core and its clustering, when a web developer sees which queries on his or her topic are more in demand, he or she will have no questions about which categories of the site a web developer needs to create. As a result, a web developer will get a site that will not only meet the interests of users but is also ready for promotion.
Types of Structures
Linear is the simplest structure because here, each page refers to another, one by one. The user goes through the entire site in one way – from start to finish. Landings, portfolio sites, presentations have such a structure. Here the main task is to lead the user along a clear path from the beginning of the site to the end, not allowing to collapse from it. The same structure can be with branches. It is used where a web developer needs to introduce the user to several products, but navigation on the site also goes page by page. Block structure is sporadic because it is far from suitable for all sites. Basically – for those who present one product.
Each block describes an advantage, and all page’s a link to each other. Therefore, to promote such a site is almost ready, it’s up to the content. Tree-like is the most common type of site structure, and it’s understandable why – it allows a web developer to clearly define the hierarchy of pages, link them using breadcrumbs (Sreedhar 293). This scheme is optimal for website promotion, and most resources on the Internet are based on it.
As mentioned above, the structure of information on a site simultaneously affects two indicators: the user factor and the effectiveness and speed of ranking a resource by a search engine. Therefore, the development of the scheme must simultaneously satisfy the requirements of both the consumer and the search engine. The structure should be as clear to the visitor as possible. The gradation of all products, according to their intended use, should be intuitively accessible. Suppose a potential customer visited an online clothing store for the whole family in order to buy a jacket for his child. If the resource scheme does not provide for the category “Children’s Clothing”, then the client will simply be lost between other groups, for example, “Clothing” and “Products for Children”, where related products for child care will be placed.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the nesting of catalog pages should be as optimized and logical as possible. Do not create additional mini-catalogs, confusing the visitor and forcing him to perform a dozen clicks to find what is needed. Consistent and correct optimization is the key to success, such as simple navigation, place menus, navigation chains, and auxiliary blocks. This will help the user navigate the assortment, as well as quickly switch from one page to another. The correct structure of the site is the key to its success and effectiveness. It directly affects the usability of the search, and in conjunction with the semantic core allows a web developer to achieve good results in terms of SEO. Any, even small mistakes made in the development of the scheme, errors, can create critical problems for the site.
Work Cited
Sreedhar, Gosipathala. Design Solutions for Improving Website Quality and Effectiveness. Information Science Reference, 2016.