WEB DESIGN: Sitemaps and Mazes

Have you even seen the image of a labyrinth? A simple pathway complicated by detours... Once you enter the maze, you must avoid pitfalls, find trap doors and navigate your way to the other side.

A website is similar to a labyrinth. Correction: a poorly designed website is similar to a labyrinth. It's confusing, difficult to navigate and the target is unclear. These sites make the user feel stupid – even if they end up at the proper destination.

As a designer, it’s your responsibility to make sure that everything makes sense. A well designed website has clear pathways to any destination. Whatever the user’s task may be, you should make them feel empower by a successful journey.

TIP: create a detailed site map.

A site map is one of the most important features of your website. It clearly outlines the way each page is connected. Every time you add a page to your site, think of how it relates to the other pages. Make sure there is a logical connection.


For advanced users:
Public sitemap documents are highly effective for SEO purposes. You should consider posting a file titled “sitemap.xml” in your website’s root folder. For further instructions on creating the sitemap document, visit sitemapdoc.com.