Information architecture is backbone of every website and without it, the website would be losing its complete shape and be insecure. It is information architecture that allows users an intuitive interface o access any content present in the website. Put simply, information architecture is an element that allows website to serve their true purpose and cater information to end users. However, it is sad that most developers consider information architecture to be an underrated aspect in the design. Developers today are more in the habit of delegating content responsibilities to Content management Systems (CMS). This is actually letting things out of your hands. Going back to the traditional usage of website information architecture, webmasters and developers can be in full control of every minute detail of the platform.

Before we go into the details of website information architecture, here are certain important aspects every developer and webmaster should be aware of.

Guiding strategy

Every webmaster should have a clear cut idea of what and how the website is going to serve. This certainly involves the objectives and vision of the website. It is when you understand what you intended to achieve, you can proceed to integrating the content and giving a digital form to your business requirement.

The end users

Every website has a common goal - satisfying and meeting the needs of the end user. It is important that you identify the target audience early on and work on an architecture that will attract and encourage the same. The way product information is depicted in an online toy store is quite different from the information architecture of a car rental service. The focus areas should be:

€ Relevancy of content for end user
€ Way the content caters to the information demand
€ Content created by keeping futuristic goals

Thus the main determinants of website information architecture would be:

€ Content organization and
€ Navigational structure

Now that you know the exact type of audience members you are targeting to, it's time to bring in the content. One should always go for a smooth flowing, well organized and categorized content integration. Keep yourself in the boots of the visitor and determine how you would have wanted the information to be presented. A well defined content architecture will ensure that neither you nor your customers get lost in the flood of information. Regardless of what you are reading, you know why you are here and how you have come to this page.

The key to successful website information architecture is consistency. Every page and content should have a relation to one another. They should follow a specific pattern throughout allowing end users to set expectations. The different steps in modern content categorization involve:

€ Global navigation: Usually appearing on the top of a web page, global navigation allows the reader to be aware of the navigation. If he chooses, he can always get back to the parent pages with a single click.
€ Local navigation: These are sub menus within a content page and can appear anywhere in the page and usually under the global navigation bar.
€ Utility navigation: These are important links like €Home€, Contact Information€, €Search Box€, etc that appear consistently on all pages.

All of these will make sure that the reader will have a pleasant experience in the website.