Page Focus

In general, each page in a website needs to have a distinct focus – a reason for being. And it needs to be

just ONE reason, unless there simply is not enough important information to fill an entire page (in which

case you can combine two or three topics).

There is a balance between useless pages that should be

consolidated, and huge pages that should be segmented.

You gain powerful advantages by good focal content on each page.

If the pages are organized well, and

your topics well divided, it makes more sense to people. For example, if you are presenting hats, then you'd

want a page for business hats, a page for fun hats, a page for sports hats, a page for women's hats, a page for

baby hats, etc.

This tactic does not just help people find what they want more easily, it also helps your site get better

search engine traffic.

Search engines like a page that has a clear topic, and then related content through the

page, whether it is an information site, product site, or service site. The majority of your site traffic may in fact

come into your site through pages other than your home page, so making the pages focused on a single topic or

concept, or facet of your product line, can help to draw more traffic in the first place, and then to help them know

they got the right thing once they are there.

It can take a lot of practice to logically divide information into segments, but once you get the

hang of it, the same tactic works for instruction manuals, employee handbooks, product

brochures, and other printed literature, so it is a skill worth learning.

I've been doing this kind of information organization for so long that it is now second nature to me. In fact, when I

build a site, I actually outline the information for the site as I am building it.

But most people can be greatly

benefited by using an outline to break things into logical titles, and then arrange them into the right

order.

More information related to this in in the Site Organization and Navigation section.

When you segment information, you also have to choose a logical name for it. That name should

be the phrase or description that will MOST LIKELY occur to someone if they go looking for it. It

should be a name that immediately tells the visitor what that page is about.

The first paragraph on the page should sum up the most important message that you want the visitor to

know. And it should have a word or two in it that echoes the page name.

Sometimes there are reasons why

this rule is not followed, such as when you are drawing the reader in with an analogy or evocative mood setter.

Most of the time though, it is part of getting to the point, and being courteous to your site visitors.

The only page in the site that does not require highly focused information is the Home page.

By its

nature, it has to be more generalized. But it should still concentrate on the key points, with the most important

thing in the spotlight. It should be clear from the home page whether or not the visitor is likely to find what they

want if they click a link.

Good topical focus in your site helps your visitors feel like you are more considerate, and more

professional.