The webmaster should always strive to build structure and organization into their website. The webpages that make up the website are the lowest common denominator in establishing that structure.

Without a definable organization to the individual pages that make-up a website it is impossible to create a reasonable structure.

Uniform layout and composition are the hallmarks of a well designed webpage.

An example of the main regions of a webpage

figure 1 - Main regions of a web page

Like pieces in a puzzle, all of the pages that make-up your website should have a logical reason for being there. Also, they should complement each other and provide uniformity in both appearance and content when viewed as a whole.

The Importance of Website Content

Uniform webpage structure

To produce continuity on your website as well as make navigation easier, break what you see on the screen into areas such as header, footer, body, links, and images. Put the same information in the same areas on each page. The above example shows one such pattern.

Website Navigation and Theme

By doing so the person exploring a website is able to distinguish the important areas on each page at a glance. They will enjoy the experience more and this will result in them having a credible attitude toward what you have to say. Organization is a prerequisite to good webpage construction.

How to Organize a Website

Does that mean every page will look identical? No, just that certain things will be in the same place on each page. The header and images may be larger or smaller, the links to different pages and the body content will definitely not be the same. But, the structure of the content will always be obvious to your visitor.

Page titles

Remember to create a separate, descriptive title for each page. If all of your web pages say <Title> Complete Widget Catalogue </Title>, when someone searches for blue widgets, you might not be listed even though you have a ton of blue widgets.

However , if you have a page that says <Title> Complete Widget Catalogue - Blue Widgets </Title> you have a much better chance of being listed and your site may have a higher ranking. (Note: The title is also what is used when someone bookmarks a particular web page.)

Why You Should Learn HTML

Meta tags

Next, the META tags...make them descriptive, use important key words but do not overload the keyword tag with duplications. This is an old trick that no longer works with search engines. In fact some search engines don't scan meta tags at all.

Years of abuse by some webmasters have caused many of them to resort to other indexing methods. But, that having been said, there are still some who do still consider meta tags when listing web sites and for this reason you should not ignore them.

The Well Designed Webpage

Webpage construction

One way to establish an overall look to your website is to first design your homepage. Once you have decided on a layout for the homepage, (i.e. index page) and are pleased with its structure, use it as a template for the rest of the webpages that will make-up your site.

Ten Steps to a Winning Home Page

Your webpage layout will make or break your website design. By providing a clean and uniform appearance your webpages will breath life and character into your site, giving a sense of stability and credibility to your website construction.

Professional Webpage Layout