Why Website Structure Matters
For small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), the official website serves as the core gateway for online presence and business conversion. A clear structure enables users to quickly locate needed information and helps search engines understand the site's content. Conversely, a disorganized structure often leads to high bounce rates, incomplete search engine indexing, and ultimately, poor online performance. Therefore, it is crucial to prioritize structural planning during the initial website development phase.
Common Pitfalls in Website Structure
Too Many or Too Few Columns
Some businesses create dozens of columns to showcase every service, overwhelming visitors. In practice, it is advisable for most SME websites to limit top-level columns to 5–7, such as "Home, About Us, Products/Services, Case Studies, News, Contact." If there are multiple business lines, they can be detailed in subpages rather than crammed into the navigation bar.
Excessive Hierarchy Depth
On some websites, users need to click three times to reach specific content, for example, "Home > Products > Solutions > Industry Applications > Specific Case." The deeper the hierarchy, the harder it is for users and search engine crawlers to access content. It is generally recommended that important pages be reachable within 1–2 clicks and never exceed three layers.
Unclear Navigation Labels
Using labels like "Business 1, Business 2" or abbreviations and English terms can confuse users about what they will find. Navigation labels should use language that users understand; for instance, "Custom Corporate Website" is clearer than "Web Dev."
Key Points for Structure Design
1. Plan Columns Based on User Needs
First, identify what visitors typically want to do on the website: learn about the company, view products/services, access case studies, contact for inquiries, or check news updates. Design columns around these needs rather than internal departmental divisions. For example, many SMEs place "About Us" at the end, but new visitors often check this section first to build trust. It is advisable to position it prominently in the navigation.
2. Control Depth and Breadth
Breadth refers to the number of top-level columns, while depth indicates the number of clicks from the homepage to a content page. It is recommended to have 2–3 sub-columns under each main column, avoiding seven or eight levels. For content like "News Updates," use tags or categories for archiving rather than creating separate navigation items for each category.
3. Implement Internal Linking
Naturally link to related columns or product pages within articles or pages. For instance, when mentioning a product in a case study, include a link to that product's page. This aids search engine crawling and user browsing. However, avoid excessive linking; 3–5 relevant links per article are sufficient.
4. Consider Mobile Adaptation
With mobile traffic accounting for a significant share, the website structure must remain clear on smartphone screens. Use a hamburger menu (collapsible) or bottom navigation, and keep the number of columns minimal. Avoid overcrowding the PC navigation on mobile devices.
5. Reserve Room for Expansion
As SMEs grow, their website structure should accommodate future additions of columns or subpages. For example, if a company initially offers three services but may expand to five, design the structure with "Services" as a top-level column and allow dynamic addition of subpages, avoiding major structural overhauls later.
Steps for Structure Planning
- List All Content: Compile all current and potential future content, such as company introduction, team, product list, product details, case study list, case study details, news list, news details, contact information, and FAQs.
- Group by Theme: Organize content into groups based on themes, such as "Products" and "News." Each group corresponds to a top-level column.
- Determine Hierarchy: Within each group, define sub-columns, typically no more than two levels deep. For example, "Products > Product A > Specifications."
- Check Depth: Ensure every content page is reachable within three clicks.
- Optimize Navigation Labels: Use short, intuitive terms for naming.
- Conduct Prototype Testing: Have a few colleagues or friends navigate the prototype to see if they can easily find information.
Restructuring an Existing Website
If your current website structure has the issues mentioned above, proceed with caution during a redesign. Instead of a complete overhaul, first analyze which content to retain, merge, or delete. During the redesign, set up 301 redirects to prevent broken links from causing 404 errors. After the update, monitor the site for a period to ensure search engines properly index the new structure.
In summary, a website structure is not set in stone; it can be iteratively optimized as the business evolves. However, the foundational framework must be solid and clear to support future operations and promotion.
