Web Page Structure

THE STRUCTURE OF A WEB PAGE does more than show how the final project will look. It allows the owner to organize information before writing text. Instead of breaking material into chapters, content providers break information into major and minor headings. Each major heading is a navigational link to an individual page. The minor headings help organize information on each page.

Structure explores the purpose and organization each web page.

To decide the external and internal structure of your web page, you should

q Understand the purpose of each page.

q Estimate the time users must spend on each page to be most effective.

q Know how each page will get the users' attention.

Home Page

The first major heading is called the home page. When a user clicks on your URL, the home page appears on the screen. It is what users glance at for 7-12 seconds before clicking to another web page.

So, to begin diagramming the web page(s) you will be writing, begin with the home page. Write it on a sheet of paper like this:

| HOME |

In a glance, users need to understand the purpose and navigational opportunities of the page.

Whatever information, graphics, and links appear on the first screen on the home page are the most important information on your entire page. Few users will scroll down unless the page catches their interest. Based on the first screen of the home page, users will decide to stay on the page or click to another page.

Web users are attracted when the

Page downloads quickly
Graphics are pleasing to the eye
Purpose is stated in a direct and logical manner

For example, let’s say that we are writing a web page for Mary Milner. On the home page, Mary Milner’s name should be prominent along with her purpose for having a web page. For example: “Mary Milner is a professional writer and speaker. With over ten years in the industry, Ms. Milner specializes in writing text for web pages, articles for magazines, and greeting cards. Her focus is writing material on the cutting-edge of modern life and technology.” This information can be given to the user as either text or hypertext links.

As the writer, you must ask yourself what will best attract your targeted audience? Would credentials, services, or something else most attract users? Sometimes, a statement of services, a brief description of purpose, and a demonstrated focus on the targeted users are all that needs to be included on the home page.

After boxing the term “home page,” the writer should break down exactly what major navigational links will be connected to it and display the page's purpose. These links will be used to connect to your individual web pages, but they are also used to interest users.

Additional Web Pages

Additional pages build a trust with users and explain services or products. Each web page linked to the home page must have a major heading that relates directly to the purpose of the web page as a whole. Then minor headings should be placed within each individual web page.

Let's look at major and minor headings for three separate types of businesses. We'll look at them for a business consultant, a chamber of commerce, and an antique mall. One is selling a service, one an advertisement for future economic sales, and the third an immediate focus on product sales. The headings presented are not all inclusive but they will help you think about the types of headings that could be included on your own web pages. The secret to finding the right major and minor headings is not based on how many you can include but on which headings will build the most trust with your targeted users and convey your web page's purpose.

A Business Consultant Page

· Biography of a Principal or Principals

· Capabilities

· Case Studies

· Client List

· Company History

· Company Newsletter

· Company Philosophy

· Company Values

· Contact Information

· General Expertise of Client

· General Services

· List of Individual Services and Descriptions

· Mission Statement

· Overview of Company

· Overview of Services

· Previous Projects

· Professional Affiliations

· Publications/Papers

· Online Seminars, Conferences, or Training

· Testimonials

· The Industries Your Client Intends to Target

· Training Information

A Chamber of Commerce Page

· The Community

· Area Churches

· Local Government Happenings

· Names of Local Government Officials

· A Local Business Outlook

· Great Shopping Areas

· Community Events

· Real Estate Leads

· About the Culture

· Employment Opportunities

· City History

· Community Development

· Human Resources

· FAQ’s

· Surveys

· A Community Newsletter

· Great Tourist Stops

· What the City Offers

· City Maps

· Public Service or Industry Messages

An Antique Mall Page

· Customer Service Information

· Industry Related Articles

· Online Registration

· Polls

· Standardized Policies

· Furniture Types

· Antique Specialization

· What Makes the Company Unique

· Company History

· Category of Items

· Description of Products

· What's Hot

· Classified Ads

· Daily Management Reports

· How To Find What You Need

· Little-Known Facts

· Insurance and Legal Concerns

· Sales Presentations

· Specials

To work on your own headings, make a list of things that your target users might need in order to complete the purpose of your web pages and allow them to trust you. For example, you might have a home page, about us page, a page for clips, and a page for publications. If these are your major headings, then under each one, write the purpose for that page. You can prioritize which areas you should include by listing categories beneath the goals. Use only the areas that would be most effective for the page's focus.

A good way to discover major and minor headings for your page is to do a quick Internet search on your competition. Look through the headings that other successful authors are using and then use only those headings that will best fit your web page's purpose.

Once you have chosen the headings that would work best, you can group them into pages. For example, a company's vision, mission statement, principal biography, and client list could all be on one page under an "About Our Company" theme. Or perhaps the description of services and previous projects could fall under a "Services" theme. Or maybe "Churches," "Shops," "Businesses," and "Real Estate" could be put under an "Our Community" theme.

While grouping similar headings, keep in mind that too little and too much are equally as ineffective. Each page should hold enough information to give the reader the overall theme for the page but not so much that users are overwhelmed.

What You Can Do

(With the information presented)

By mapping out your web pages, both you and your designer will know the number of web pages that need to be written, the navigational headings of each link, and the general areas that will be included on each page.

Put yourself in the position of your intended audience. If you are directing your pages to editors, then leave out everything except what relates to editors.

Take the time to map out your pages like the example below:

| HOME |

Then, just as you would do for a client, list the section headings that should be contained in each page. For example:

Home Page Description of services, industry-related lead that will capture attention

About Us Overview of company, biography of principal, client list

Clips Published magazine clips

Publications Links to online publications and the home pages of magazine and book publishers where your material has been published

Contact Information An e-mail address

Writing Web Page Content. Copyright © 1999 ©2003 by Sheila Seifert. Printed electronically in the United States of America. All rights reserved. No part of this seminar may be reproduced in any form or by electronic or mechanical means including information storage or retrieval systems without permission in writing from the author except by a review or when used for educational purposes where brief passages may be quoted.