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How to Develop a Website Outline
By Gene DeFazzio

Creating your website outline

A website outline is just what the name implies...a written outline of the content of your website. Even though you feel as if know every title and sentence on the website you are creating, once a site is online it is very difficult to remember the actual order of things.

Having a website outline helps provide a mental picture of the site, the sections, subsections and content pages. This will also serve as a valuable guide when you setup your navigation scheme. You will be able to better visualize the path that you wish your visitors to follow.

Keep track of your website graphics and links

It is a good idea to list all the graphics and links and on what pages they are located. When you decide to change any of them, having the file names will save you a lot of time.

I realize this may seem Iike a lot of paperwork for something that is going to be on the Internet. But l can tell you (from painful experience) that you will appreciate having written documentation and use it more than you can imagine.

You can create a website outline in any way that is most meaningful for you. A journal, ledger pad, or even a data spreadsheet would work great. Use whatever works best for you.

How to organize your website files

Keep your Website organized identically on your hard drive as you organize it on the Internet.
Keep files used on your index page and files used repeatedly in your root directory. But don't overload your root directory.
Create a subdirectory for each series of related pages.
Plan for expansion. If you think a page on a particular theme will expand into a number of pages, create a subdirectory for it.
Keep files that belong on each page in the same subdirectory (except those in the root directory)
Name your subdirectories and files in an easy to identify manner.

See: Website basic layout

Choose permanent file names

Don't change your subdirectory or file names (and html page addresses) after the fact. Name and address them now in a manner that you will be able to maintain in the future, no matter how much you expand.

If you do have to change an address after your Website is up, then place a redirect page or link in the old location. Changing file names, without doing this, will require the search engines to respider your site, which could take a while.

Summary

Organization is the key to any successful website.The better organized a website is the easier it is for search engines to catalogue it and for your visitors to navigate through it. For the webmaster organization makes their job a whole lot easier.

Website Navigation and Layout

Sitemaps and SEO

For those who don't devote too much time on the SEO of their site - this is a good place to start. By submittíng a sitemap to various search engines, you are telling them that you exist and what pages your site has to offer the World Wide Web.

How to Make Easy Website Navigation

Navigation is how visitors get around your site. If your navigation is unclear then your visitors will get frustrated and go away.

Navigational Options for Your Website

There are many types of navigation methods to choose from. You must carefully consider the layout of your site so you can choose the system that will work best.

Web Site Navigation Best Practices

A great user experience will bring visitors back. Navigation is a key element in the user experience.

Developing a Theme for your Website

Every website should have some type of theme or a way of giving your site an identifying look. When visitors come to your website they should be presented with an experience that they will remember.

Website Navigation and Theme

Have you ever visited a website where you keep clicking on links, hoping you are going to find that information you're looking for, only to be led to more pages of links.

Tips for Improving Website Navigation

In order for visitors to find the right information, a website's navigation path needs to be clear.

Professional Webpage Layout

The layout of your webpages says a lot about you and your message. Good webpage layout is the key to a successful website.

Web Site Design Layout - Five Common Elements

Your web site design layout largely depends on the type of website you're building. A sales page, for example, has different requirements than a landing page, and a landing page has different requirements than a niche web page.

Web Page Design Ideas - How to Use Graphics Creatively

Keep your web site design simple, and never lose sight of what you want your visitors to do when they arrive.

Website Design - 3 Pointers For Color You Must Consider

The correct use of color in your website design is paramount to ensure your site is not plain and uninteresting or on the other spectrum too busy, glaring and difficult to look at for a period of time.

Creating a Basic Web Design Template

A "template" is simply a design format which you can apply to all (or most) of the pages in your web site.