4 Information Architecture Mistakes You Should Definitely Avoid

In today’s internet-savvy community, making our websites standout has never been harder. Countless websites are popping up each day and it’s easy to get lost in the vast web space. Some newcomers never even stand a chance against big names like IGN, ESPN, YouTube, and others. Don’t let the big names get you down though, as there are ways to draw in site visitors.

Today’s internet visitors are very picky when it comes to the websites they visit. Aside from wanting to click mostly on established websites, they are also particular when it comes to the way a website is laid-out. Too much clutter and text can push a visitor away. On the other hand, lesser content has the same effects. 

What is Information Architecture?

Behind every website and its pages is information architecture and it’s something all website owners should consider looking into.

Information architecture is the backbone of a website. It refers to how data and details are organized, structured, and labeled so as to aid the user in his site navigation. It’s a deep concept to comprehend but it is something the digital marketing agencies in Boston take into consideration very sincerely.

Before knowing how to make use of information architecture properly, it’s important to first understand some of the mistakes to avoid when making one.

1.Making A Structure-less Backbone

Any engineer will tell you that a building made from the finest materials is bound to crumble a few days after being finished if it doesn’t have a good structure. A common mistake by web developers is that they refuse to first create a good structure for a website.

A good structure of a website should help users get from one page to the next through a list of suggestions and drop-down menus. This opens up opportunities for other pages of the website to be noticed.

2.Missing The Landing (Pages)

Landing pages serve as a website’s title. For context, it’s hard to read an entire article or essay if it has a poor title. Landing pages are supposed to help direct a visitor to a website’s services. What most web developers often overlook is to give the visitors a clearer view of the categories a website has.

Think of how confusing it would be if a sports website doesn’t have a landing page with categories for each sport? It would take a lot of clicks to find a specific basketball article.

Websites should have a landing page that reveals all the places a visitor can visit. Not only will it make lesser-known categories shine, it will also help the visitors find what they need a lot easier.

3.Read, You May Like, And Other Suggestions

A website shouldn’t live off of a single page alone. Websites are vast and contain hundreds or so pages, to say the least. Only a truly dedicated visitor would take time to visit all of the pages of a retailer’s website. However, the website owner can help the visitor get to the pages he wants to visit.

Information architecture relies greatly on understanding what a website visitor wants to see. There are separate analytics tools to help website owners suggest items for their visitors but these solutions mean nothing if the feature isn’t integrated into a website’s information structure.

4.Complicated Terminologies

Chances are, website visitors already know what they want to look for when they go to a particular website. This isn’t a major problem at all unless website developers choose to make it a problem. For example, a common mistake for a retailer’s website is that they use complicated terminologies to categorize products. 

If a website visitor wants a laptop, he’ll go through the “Laptops and Computers” section and not a broad section like “Home Electronics.”

It’s a fairly minor mistake but it is a mistake many web developers are guilty of. Categories go a long way when it comes to keeping a website visitor hooked in so it’s important to make sure they get what they need without having to go through a Scrabble board’s load of words first.

An architect can’t build a proper information architecture regardless of what he does. Only the best and most professional digital marketing agencies in Boston can do a job like this. Aside from having an in-depth knowledge of web design and schematics, these guys know that the most important part of a website’s success is understanding the demands of the ever-dynamic website visitor.