If you’re anything like me at the beginning of your online money making journey, you won’t have given much thought to the structure of your website. But, as I learned the hard way, that’s the wrong attitude to have. Just a few seemingly insignificant tweaks can dramatically impact your site’s performance.
So why is website structure important?
Think about it. Cast your mind back to the last time you went to a website that was difficult to navigate. What did you do? Chances are, you left that website and went to one that was easier to use.
The same principle applies when it comes to your website. If your website’s structure is confusing or difficult to navigate, people will leave without taking any action. That’s why it’s so important to make sure your website is structured to make sense and easy for your visitors to use!
But what are the consequences (beyond being difficult to use) of having a poorly structured website? Why is getting your site structure spot on so important?
What is a Website Structure?
When you’re building a website, one of the first things you need to think about is the structure. The website structure is the way in which the different pages on your site are linked together. It’s important to have a good website structure because it makes it easy for people to navigate around your site and find the information they’re looking for. There are three key elements to a website structure:
The home page: This is the first page that people will see when they come to your site. It’s essential to make sure that your home page is clear and concise and that it gives people a good overview of what your website is all about.
The navigation: This is how people will move around your website. The navigation should be straightforward and easy to use so that people can find their way from one page to another without getting lost.
The content: This is the actual information on your website. It’s important to make sure that your content is well-organised and easy to read. When you’re planning the structure of your website, it’s essential to keep these three elements in mind. By taking the time to plan out your website structure, you’ll make it easier for people to use your site and find
The Consequences of Having a Poorly Structured Website
Having a poorly structured website can have a number of consequences, both for the business and for the users.
Firstly, as we’ve already discussed, a poor website structure can make it difficult for users to find the information they are looking for, which can lead to frustration and ultimately cause them to leave the site.
However, and perhaps most importantly, poorly structured sites can also be penalised by search engines such as Google, resulting in lower rankings and reduced traffic. Google is very hot on user experience at the moment, so it’s essential to make sure your website is easy to use and navigate if you want to rank well in the search results.
If you’re running an eCommerce store or a business site, those lost rankings translate to lost opportunities and revenue – making it a no-brainer to spend a few extra minutes on your website design to ensure it’s up to scratch.
In addition, poor website structure can make it challenging to maintain and update the site, resulting in an even worse user experience and further reducing the chances of people returning to the site.
Tips for Creating an Effective Website Structure
It’s all very well banging on about how poor site structure can really harm your blog or business, but what can you do about it to ensure it’s going to tick the boxes for search engines and users?
Well, there are a few key things to keep in mind when you’re creating your website structure.
Simple and Easy-to-Follow Navigation
First, make sure that your website is easy to navigate. Visitors should be able to quickly find the information they’re looking for and move from one page to another without getting lost.
To do this, you need to have a clear navigation system in place. The navigation should be visible on every page of your website and should be easy to understand. The most common type of navigation is a menu bar at the top of the page, but you can also use things like breadcrumbs or a sidebar.
Just make sure that whichever type of navigation you choose, it’s easy to use and helps people move around your website with ease.
Make Your Site Structure Obvious to Google
It’s not just people you have to cater for when designing your site. You also need to take Google’s crawl robots into account too. With that in mind, you need to make sure that your website is easy for Google to crawl and index.
You need to design a website with a clear hierarchy to do this. Your website should have a primary navigation menu that links to the different pages on your site, and each page should be linked to and from that menu.
You should also use descriptive titles and URLs that include your target keywords. This will help Google understand what each page and post is about, and as a result, it will be more likely to rank in the search results.
Finally, it would help if you used internal linking to help Google move around your website. By linking to other related pages and posts on your website, you’re effectively creating a map that Google can follow.
Design With Mobile Devices in Mind
With more traffic coming from mobile devices than ever before, it’s essential to make sure your website is optimised for mobile. When it comes to site structure, remember that things look very different on mobile, and so you might need to structure your site in a certain way to ensure that it works just as well on a smaller screen.
For example, you might want to consider using a hamburger menu on your mobile website, as this can be easier to use than a traditional navigation menu. You might also want to consider using accordions or tabbed content to condense information and make it easier to read on a smaller screen.
Whatever you do, just make sure that your website is easy to use on mobile devices, as this is something that Google takes into account when ranking websites in the search results.
Wrapping Up – Give Your Website Structure the Time and Effort it Deserves
As you can see, website structure is fundamental if you want your website to be successful. By following the tips above, you can ensure that your website is easy to use and navigate, both for users and Google’s crawl bots.
It’s not particularly fun work. However, it’s definitely worth the effort as a well-structured website will help you rank higher in the search results, drive more traffic to your website, and ultimately help you achieve your business goals.