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How to make a good sitemap?
by Alexander O. (www.webskyguide.com)
Most of existing sitemaps or "navigation maps" do not reflect all of the information levels of the website. Sometimes, even very well designed websites pay little or
no attention to navigation maps. The surveys show that only 48 per cent of the Internet resources have a navigation map. In the meantime, a navigation map remains
one of the most convenient ways of searching the required pages on the website, together with hyper links and a searching function.
The most common problems associated with modern sitemaps include confusing maps, brevity (they do not show all the site pages), and a lack of correspondence between
these sections and the actual pages of the website. There are a number of other problems closely connected with the way the users' visit websites. Let us consider
them below.
Location of the sitemap
The website map was initially meant as a useful user tool. However, those who invented sitemaps forgot to tell the users about them. Since then, sitemaps are created,
but not all users know that they exist (in general, not only on one particular site). As a result, the user who gets lost on the website may not even know about the
navigation map. He or she is browsing "the fields of pages" and "forests of links," finding the necessary information after a considerable investment of time.
Of the users who have an idea about sitemaps, many are not able to find a graphical drawing ("icon") showing that there is a navigation map. One common mistake is to
represent the website map as a small, untitled graph. Alas, not every net user is aware of these Internet symbols.
Mistakes in going from the sitemap to the sections
According to statistics, 0.3 per cent of one thousand users make mistakes in going from the sitemap to the required sections and pages. On one hand, 0.3 per cent is a
small figure; on the other hand, we should consider that there are millions of net users and 0.3 per cent can be crucial when considering how many struggle to use the
Internet.
What kind of mistakes do the users make? One of the most common cases is the incorrect link from the sitemap to the section. Despite the fact that this mistake is not
connected with the map directly, it will not make the website more popular.
Another common mistake is going to the main sector instead of subsection. This mistake is made by the website visitors with pulled up navigation maps. To go to other
section, you need to click the "+" sign close to the main section and go to the subsection. This option is good for small websites, where there are several main
sections and not more than twenty subsections. For big websites, "pulling down" of subsection can become a real torture. Agree that it is at least tiring to click at
fifty or more "pluses."
Design of the sitemap
Before talking about the design of the sitemap, it is necessary to answer the following questions: when does the user go to the sitemap page and why does he or she use
it? Specialists in website usability note that in some cases, the users use the map when they get lost on the website and therefore are upset and disappointed. In other
cases, the user wants to find precise information and goes to the map page directly from the main page. In both cases, the purpose is to get an idea of the website
structure. If the sitemap is designed correctly, it gives the user an idea of several information levels on the website. In addition, the map should not be so large
that the user cannot see it with one look. An ideal sitemap is not more than two and a half pages in the standard 1024õ768 resolution.
As we have already noted, sitemaps that require pulling down (dynamic maps) in order to go to subsections are very inconvenient. When creating a map, it is necessary
to remember that a navigation map should give an idea of the information available on the website.
Often, dynamic sitemaps are based on a narrative basis, for example, a tree with branches for each section. While these may be very beautiful sitemaps, their
functionality and convenience for the user leave much to be desired. If the website is not specific, it is better to use a standard user-friendly interface.
Sitemaps of the future
Today, specialists' opinions of sitemaps differ. Some believe that sitemaps are outdated and their function is performed by heading lists on the main page. Others
think that sitemaps will continue to have a future. Today, some maps give users the possibility to see what pages he or she has visited and where he or she is at the
moment. Links to the visited pages are highlighted with different colors than those not visited.
Currently, the most important use of a sitemap is as a guide for the robot spiders of searching engines. A site without a map (or with an incorrect map) loses in the
internal rating of the searching systems. This is why websites that require searching optimization in order to attract users require a correct and updated sitemap.
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