An architect wouldn't start building a house without a blueprint.
A sailor wouldn't set to sea without a compass. You shouldn't begin creating
your website without a map of your own. We'll need two types of maps:
(1) a content map and,
(2) a visual map.
Content Map
If we want our visitors to look around (and return)
we need to allow easy access to the information we provide. You'll put countless
hours into creating this content - why not take the time to make sure they
can easily find it? If your website was a book, how would you organize the
table of contents? Each chapter? Approach your website the same way.
Usually, the nature of your content will dictate the structure. A website with Song Lyrics should probably be organized alphabetically by Artist or Song. A website about cooking might be organized by country of origin (Italian, Japanese), type of food (soup, cookies, pasta) or ingredient. How about a website for Cancer Survivors? This website is more abstract and developing an organized structure will be much more difficult.
Visit your competitors' websites and see how they have organized their content. Note the best elements and pitfalls of each and make sure to include them and avoid them, respectively!
Just as you would for a 7th grade book report, outline your content in a text document. This will become your bible when creating the content of your website.
Visual Layout
The purpose of a visual map is to (1) ensure your site looks appealing, (2)
is easy to navigate and, (3) is consistent. The most common layout places
the website banner at the top of the screen with navigational links on the
left.
For a content driven site this simple layout is highly recommended. When a visitor arrives at your site they'll have a sense of comfort and familiarity. They've seen this before and are ready to explore. Content is what they want, don't complicate things by trying to be glamorous and glitzy.
Banner on the top. Link panel on the left. On the right side of your page we'll create another link panel which will be home to your revenue drivers. We'll place advertisements from ad networks like Yahoo! or Google and links to affiliate products. The advertisements and affiliate products we select will be relevant to our visitors needs, becoming an extension of our content. But this will have to wait until Step 5 - Generating Revenue. For now, just acknowledge where your the basic layout.!
Obviously, content will be placed on the main stage- front and center.
Now our website has organized content and a familiar layout that will make it easy for visitors to navigate. Thinking about frames, scroll bars, etc? Stop now. They will be a complete headache and only complicate things for you and your visitors. Your prize for agreeing with me is a much easier Step 4 - Building Your Website. Although it's easier, we've still got some hard work ahead!