Site Architecture – A Solid Foundation is Key

April 3, 2009 in Web Site Tips | Comments (0)

Just like building a new house, your web site must have a solid foundation before anything else can be built on top of it. However, small businesses can sometimes get too caught up in what THEY think should be on their web sites that they forget (or worse, ignore) what knowledge, research, and experience have shown; and that is unless you get the basics right, you run the risk of having problems in the future.

So what exactly are the basics? The basics are the elements shared by most, if not all, web sites today; elements that must be developed correctly in order for a site to be successful. It is important to remember that when a site’s foundation is built correctly, the site performs well for the users, the search engines, and the business it was built to promote. A solid foundation also allows for future site development and enhancements as technology changes and improves. Here are some essential standards and common-sense practices that are not only basic, but should also be included when building any web site’s foundation:

  • Follow standard web conventions such as blue underlined text for links, navigation across the top of the page or down the left side, and a logo at the top of each page that links back to the home page.
  • Don’t use pre-designed templates for a business site – use a custom designed layout and architecture that matches your branding, gives a professional impression of your business, and gives you full control and ownership of your individual web files.
  • Keep navigation consistent across all pages in your site; from the home page through all subpages.
  • Use text-based or CSS-based navigation, and don’t use images as navigation elements.
  • Use tables-based or CSS-based page layouts, and don’t ever use pages that consist of one big image (or many smaller ones, for that matter).
  • Include an XML sitemap in your site’s root directory to ensure that the search engines can find and crawl every page in your site.
  • Include a robots.txt file in your site’s root directory to provide the search engines with instructions on how to index the pages on your site (which directories to index, which ones to skip, etc.)
  • Use actual text on your pages, not images of text.
  • Keep subpages within two clicks of the home page; make it easy for users to find a page and get back to where they came from.
  • Use standard, sans-serif web fonts (Arial, Helvetica, Verdana) for readability and visual clarity of text content.
  • Include a Contact Us page with information on how to reach your company, including physical address, phone numbers, email addresses, map links, and comment form so visitors can ask questions if necessary.
  • Don’t build your entire site using Flash. It’s invisible to the search engines, often annoying to users, not compliant with accessibility standards, and nearly impossible for you to update or maintain in-house.
  • Keep visitor counters off your web site and use your server-based web stats instead.
  • Keep your most important information above the fold, such as your navigation, company logo, value proposition, etc.

Web sites that are built on solid foundations are easy and useful for visitors, meaning users can find what they are looking for, and are more likely to return for a repeat visit or pass the site on to friends and colleagues. A solid foundation is also essential for success in the search engines, since search engines must be able to read and index a site’s pages before including the data in their databases or any search results. Ignoring the basics can often block or prevent the search engines from even knowing about your web site. So before you become overly focused on what you THINK users and the search engines want to see, why not take advantage of what research has taught us – and build a strong foundation first.

Comments are closed.