Sitemap Tips:
Naturally, you will link to all main sections, but be sure to include all important and/or high traffic pages.
- include links to all legal information (privacy policy, terms of service, etc.)
- check the server logs to find high traffic pages
A sitemap is not static and needs to be maintained. Consider it the site's saftey net: holes can be fatal to your business.
- check links weekly, bi-weekly or once an update depending how much the site changes each time
- add new links as a new section is added or a page becomes popular
- and remove unpopular ones
Do not be afraid to repeat a link under two different sections.
Use the same words to link to sections/pages that you used in the rest of the site. Consistancy makes users happy!
- a few descriptive words can also be helpful with more complex pages
Link to the sitemap from every page of the web site. You lose the advantage of having one if people have to look for it.
Take into account that some people are color blind and some are blind, period.
- use ALT text for images
- do not use color alone to convey important information
Provide a legend when using icons in the sitemap. Icons are useless if they mean nothing to the user. (Legends tell what each icon stands for)
- use shapes that will not be confused with one another
- do not use color alone to differentiate between icons
- place the legend near the top if visitors have to scroll down to see the whole map at a 800 x 600 resolution. No point making it if they don't see it.
Use declining contrast by making pages higher up in the hierarchy stand out from their surroundings more.
- Example: highlight links to top sections and use different bullets and indentation for lower levels (sample).
Use whitespace or color blocks to seperate sections from one another instead of thin lines. Eyes will pass right over the thin lines that blend in with the text.
Keep the sitemap as small as possible. Finding the link you want is harder if you've got five screens of links to scan through.
Keep download sizes small. Someone who's foaming-at-the-mouth frustrated will not want to wait one minute for the map to download.
Avoid bleeding edge technology and software that will "build" the sitemap for you. Such software will make an impressive-looking and impractical sitemap. The hard work--figuring out what should be on it and maintaining it--cannot be done by the software anyway.
K.I.S.S. (Keep it Simple, Stupid). Lost users will not be impressed with your confusing (but totally cool, high tech!) sitemap. It may just confuse them further and get them to leave.
Make sure the page degrades gracefully so the sitemap can be used no matter what. If it is a Flash site, don't bother since anyone who can't see Flash won't be able to visit the pages anyway.
If you must use bleeding edge tech., provide a text version for others and display the link to it prominently. Then, be prepared to maintain both equally.
Written: 11-3-2001
|
