Information architecture is one of the most important things that you need for your website. But, what is it? Information architecture is basically a fancy word for how your website is structured … where does each page lead to. It sounds simple, but it really is one of the most important parts of your website. This is, as a general rule, one of the first things that I figure out for my clients when I start working on their website. It ends up informing the whole website: from how it’s built to how it’s designed.
Have you ever gone to a website to find something and it takes you a long time to dig through everything because the whole site is a mess? That’s usually because the information architecture was done improperly or wasn’t done at all. To create a good information architecture, you have to figure out a few important things first.
- Who is your audience?
- What is the most likely thing they are going to be looking for on your site?
- What do you want then to find on your site?
Once you’ve answered those questions, your information architecture, and therefore your site’s navigation, almost sorts itself out. For example, if you think that the most important thing your clients are going to look for is your phone number, then you know that the contact page needs to be easy to find.
The best thing that you can do to ensure that your website’s users find what they’re looking for is to work with a web designer who understands and can build a solid architecture for you site. Together, using your overall goals, you’ll be able to build a site that is easy and enjoyable for everyone to use.
Kate Moore Hermes 