Information Architecture 101: Defining Web Content and Estimating Costs

So, you’ve defined your target audience; identified major competitors; defined your success metrics; and now, you’re ready to move forward with the construction of your new web site, as quickly as possible. But suddenly, you’re faced with a few mission-critical questions:

• How much will the new web site cost?
• Who should build it?
• How long will it take to build?
• Who will maintain it?

When planning for a new web site, a preliminary Site Map is an indispensable tool, that can be used to:

• Define, label, and organize information in ways that are easy for your visitors to navigate to;
• Quickly communicate the proposed size and complexity of the site to everyone involved;
• Determine what kind of human resources and technologies will be required to successfully complete (and maintain) the site;
• Accurately estimate costs, and create a realistic production time line; and
• Develop a phased approach, if necessary, for launching the web site

There are many ways to create a Site Map, but first, to give you a better idea of what I’m referring to, here’s an example:

Once the Site Map has been created, it’s just a matter of imagining what it will take (talent and technology) to create each page within the site. For example, someone will have to write the text for each page; some pages will require illustrations and/or photography; some pages will require additional functionality (e.g.: an information request form; a Flash demo; a shopping cart; etc.). But don’t worry too much about the details at first— your primary objective is to create a preliminary site map that your design shop can use to estimate costs, complexity, and timing¹.

Your Site Map does not have to be as elaborate as the example used above. In fact, I’ve had clients hand over a stack of 3”x5” index cards (with notes scribbled on the back of each one). I’ve seen others use Post-It notes, PowerPoint slides, Excel spreadsheets, and content outlines in Word. However, programs such as Microsoft’s Visio for Windows, and The Omni Group’s OmniGraffle for the Mac, may be ideal for you.

1. The first draft of your Site Map is likely to change during the early stages of design— particularly after: a) a competitive analysis is performed; b) user personas are created and reviewed (to better understand the needs and desires of your target audience); and c) a list of additional features and content is considered.

Tommy Oddo is a web designer and digital artist who lives in Austin, Texas. Entrepreneurs, marketers, and in-house teams hire him to make their websites and digital products more engaging and easier to use. Follow him on: Linkedin, Quora, Twitter, and Facebook. Subscribe to future articles via RSS and/or Email.