How to Plan a Website Structure Before Development
A sitemap drawn after the design is often a record of decisions that have already been made. A useful site structure starts earlier: it connects visitor tasks to pages, content types, navigation, and the work needed to launch each part. The output should be understandable to a designer, developer, content editor, and project owner. It need not begin as a polished diagram. A shared table, a simple…
A sitemap is not the first step in creating a website structure. Instead, consider the goals of visitors and how they will interact with the site. Start by listing the tasks a visitor needs to accomplish and map out the pages that will help them achieve those tasks. Communicate this information in a format that is easy for all stakeholders to understand, such as a shared table or simple hierarchy.
Begin with real questions and assumptions, and validate them with customers and users. Create an inventory that includes the page's purpose, owner, and status. Include URLs, migration mappings, and any necessary dependencies or acceptance criteria. Group pages by tasks and concepts that your audience can easily understand, rather than using internal department names.
Test whether the navigation paths make sense for each task and provide clear labels and focus order for accessibility. Define page types and their required fields before creating templates, and consider relationships between page types. This approach will help ensure that the site structure supports the site's goals and is usable for visitors.
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