Website architecture workshop: real world examples
- Sue Blatchford
- 13 November 2007
Examples of different types of navigation structures:
- Left Navigation
- List of Contents
- Horizontal Top Bar
- Tabs
- Multi-level tree navigation
- Buttons with drop down reveals
- Breadcrumb Trail
Intermediate: Ecommerce website architecture
Example website: Indulge Fashion 
(Click the link to
open the site in a new window)
Indulge Fashion is an Australian website that sells top branded lingerie, swimsuits, and leisurewear.
This site is a full ecommerce site and offers a variety of navigation solutions such as Shop by Brand, Shop by Size or Browse the different categories.
This site uses both a top and left navigation. The goals of this site are to maximise online sales as well as to encourage people to join the weekly newsletter with a $10 discount incentive.
Indulge Fashion also uses a great up-selling technique. When browsing a particular item it will suggest another one that matches or forms a set with the one you are viewing. The creators of this site have also considered questions people may have concerning shopping online. They provide information on help with sizing, online security and fabric care.
This full functioning ecommerce site is a good example of how to make information architecture work for both business goals and user experience.
Functionality of the site includes:
- Full Shopping Cart
- Online sales transactions in multiple currencies
- Multiple Navigation Options
- Wish list
- Blog
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Basic: Lead generation website architecture
Example website: Miller Heiman Skills Farm (Click the link to
open the site in a new window)
Miller Heiman Skills Farm is an Australian business that offers a variety of public seminars and private coaching in sales training and performance consulting.
The Skills Farm site uses a standard hierarchy as part of its simple architecture and functionality, but it also contains a decent amount of quality content.
The core functionality, or reason for being, of the site is ‘lead generation’ to get individuals to enquire or register for a training workshop online.
This simple HTML site has a long keyword-rich navigation and quality content, which contributes to high performing natural search rankings.
Functionality of the site includes:
- Download Product PDFs
- Download Registration Forms
- Fill in Online Registration
- Online Inquiries
Metrics for success
Plan to measure the success of your site. Set up a web analytics software tool on your site such as Google Analytics. This is a free tool supplied by Google, which allows you to define your goals and monitor how your site performs towards those goals including visitor activity and the effectiveness of marketing campaigns. Take the guided tour to get an idea of how Google Analytics can help you make informed decisions about your site.#
