The management or architecture of the information on the web is the way we organize the content on a website. In other words, it is the set of logical decisions that manage the organization and the location of information on a website. The organization of this information has the particularity of dictating the path the user uses to access the website’s different pages but also what info is located on the pages. For example, you need to go on the homepage to go on the shop page, or you need to be on the shop page to access a product page. You should then have the information related to a specific product on the shop page.
It might seem clear or even easy to organize the information of a small website. Unfortunately, if the information management is not done correctly, it can bring frustration since the user will have issues finding what he wants.
This frustration can lead to a lot of consequences. First, the user will not have any pleasure using your website. As a result, he will not take the time to visit the other pages and could miss important information that could be relevant to him. Another effect of this frustration is a bad reputation. Often, a business or an organization who cannot structure their website correctly might have just as a chaotic intern structure. It can repel potential customers from working with you.
Another important thing that is directly related to the structure of your website is SEO. Indeed, one of the relevant factors of search engines is the logic links between the pages. If the pages have no evident connection, the website will then be less well indexed and, as a consequence, more difficult to find.
There are a few practical questions to ask yourself in order to create a logic organization that will allow your users to use your website easily.
1- What my users want to find?
When you answer this question, it allows you to determine what information you need to put forward. The more relevant information will be put forward, the more the user experience will be adequate. That means that your users will not have to research to find the information they are looking for, decreasing the frustration and limiting the confusion. Moreover, it allows us to focus on the content that interests our users, which will make him stay longer on the website and increase the engagement rate.
2- Is the information relevant?
This question is essential and can also be used when using other mediums like prints. It allows us to delete all useless information that only adds weight to the webpage. The more info is precise and clear, the more the user will have an enjoyable experience since he will find the content he is looking for easily. Everybody has already been on a website where the information was hidden on pages full of unnecessary or redundant information. Besides, this question has the particularity to challenge any outdated information.
3- What is the most appropriate browsing method?
Whether it is a menu, a link or a button, it is essential to ask yourself how the user accesses a piece of information since all browsing elements do not have the same utility. For example, the main menu will not be used to access a subpage or a tiny button should not link to an important page of the website. To have a clear browsing organization is probably one of the essential elements for a good user experience.
4- Under which form is my content more relevant?
With the increase of new media on the internet, the information can now have many forms. Whether it is by words, pictures, videos or animations, these mediums have advantages and disadvantages. For example, a text has the advantage of being fast to read but easy to copy. On the other hand, a video might catch the attention more easily but would have as a disadvantage to be less accessible.
You now know the basics of the organization of information on a website and the impacts it can have. You now know a few questions to ask yourself when you want to manage efficiently your content too. With all these tools, we wish you a successful creation!