When working with clients on a website there is one phase in the development process where we tend to get stuck – developing a site structure. It’s a daunting task as a small business owner, and often times, is difficult to determine where to start.
To begin, you need to ask yourself a the following question: what do you want to inform/ educate your customers or potential clients about? This might included your business description, products or services your company offers, what’s on your menu, or where someone could contact you if they have any questions.
At Nextfly, we the following items as our main website navigation items:
- Home – This is just a quick navigation option that allows potential customers the ability to navigate back to our home page when they click around our website.
- Website Design Services – On each page under this menu, we talk about each service we offer from website design to blog writing. We have lengthy pages describing each service, so potential clients have a clear understand of what we do.
- Portfolio – It is important for potential clients not only to read about what we do, but also see our work. We keep our portfolio updated with our recent logo, mobile and website designs to display the work we’ve done and also to showcase how website design has changed over the years.
- Testimonials – We appreciate each and every customer we’ve had and want to make sure we work hard to keep them happy. Our testimonials are a test to our hard work and also serve as a reference point to potential customers about our quality of service.
- Blog – At Nextfly, we like to talk a lot. We talk about the apps we love, the best ways to use your website, social media, or even popular culture. We like to inform and educate our customers or potential clients and blogs are a great way to do so!
- Contact – It’s important for our customers or potential clients to be able to get in touch with us. On our contact page has our location, phone number and a contact form to be able to email us with ease.
You may not need the same site structure, but one that is close would be ideal. A typical site structure looks like this:
- Home
- About – Here you would have information about your company and might even include information about your executive team. In this section you have the ability to talk about what your company does, how it was founded, what your mission statement is. This gives both present and potential customers an idea of who you are and what you do.
- Services (Products) – Here is where you’d talk about the services or products that you offer. If it is a product, talk about what the product does and what it’s key features are. Also include a picture so customers have a good understanding about what they are looking to purchase. If you are talking about the services you offer, write about what it is that you do and what a client is to expect when working with your business.
- Blog – At your blog you can write about anything you’d like your website audience to know! Talk about current company news, about upcoming events, write about current industry events or even give advice. When it comes to a blog – the sky is the limit!
- Contact – On your contact page it’s important to put all the information you’d like your customer to know. This could include your various location addresses, direct line phone numbers, or email addresses of specific staff members. Often times on this page there are contact forms which allow customers to contact you with their information in order for you to reach out to them directly via email rather than on the phone.
Hope this give you a head start in putting together your site map together. If you have any questions for us feel free to head to our contact page. We put it there juuuuust for you!