often makes it impossible for searchers or browsersto find what they need.
Most of the time online users form searches that often turn upuseless or non-relevant results. This is not only frustratingfor users but also for any company advertised on the web. Usersare left guessing the right keyword they need to use in order toget the information they need off the web.
Unfortunately not all users have the patience to keep guessinguntil they find the right keyword. More often than not, userswill give up their search and go on with another search. Thiscan mean lost sales for any company on the web that doesn't havea sitemap taxonomy.
Building a sitemap taxonomy
Many people may think that building sitemap taxonomy is an easysimple process of putting together keywords. Sorry to say,sitemap taxonomy is a demanding task however it does have itsrewards. With an effective sitemap taxonomy in place, a websiteis more likely to get more traffic that would translate intoprofits.
Working out a sitemap taxonomy is often a trial and errorprocess. It requires using the right terms that users are betteracquainted with, in order for them to find their way through thesite. At the same time, using the wrong terms may make itimpossible for users to find what they need within the site.
There are generally two sets of online users that should benefitfrom the sitemap taxonomy, browsers and searchers. Browsersoften use the sitemap taxonomy to find their way within a sitewhile searchers use online search engines to find theinformation they need. No matter what type of user is involved,the sitemap taxonomy should address the needs of both users.Enabling either user to find the content they need.
Do-it-yourself sitemap taxonomy
The best candidate for creating the sitemap taxonomy of a siteis the company itself or the individual behind the websitecontent. Although hiring a professional to create the sitemaptaxonomy of the site is an option, it is best that someone withfirsthand knowledge of the website's content do it. There are anumber of important aspects to consider before doing the sitemaptaxonomy.
Keep in mind that in general the sitemap taxonomy should beextensive not profound. Putting together profound sitemaptaxonomy may only make matters worse as the user will have adifficult time finding the subject matter they need. It is alsobest to use basic terms instead of advertising jargon that canbe easily understood by all.
When structuring the sitemap taxonomy, it is important tomaintain some exactness at the highest levels. This helps makeit easier for users to navigate the site and find theinformation they need. It is also a good idea to limit thenumber of items under each level from two to seven subjectmatters. If not then it is best to combine subject matters for amore efficient sitemap taxonomy.
Take into account that sitemap taxonomy is not an exact science.It requires constant fine-tuning in order to produce aneffective sitemap taxonomy. However the entire process will payoff big in the long run as users who are more likely to findwhat they need are those more likely to spend money.
About the author:Jeremiah Patton has been currently using sitemaps for easynavigation for visitors and for better crawling from searchengines. Jeremiah Patton uses a sitemap for his work at homemoms website http://www.2ndincome4u.com with great success.