When you make the decision to build a Web site, whether epic or modest,
you should first stop and answer a few basic questions before jumping in.
What is the purpose of this site? What will it contain? Who is the
audience? What do you hope to get out of it? What do you hope your visitors
will get out of it?
These questions may seem obvious, but you'd be surprised how many
businesses don't think about this stuff until they're in the midst of the
production. But if you take a little time at the outset to consider these
essential questions, the process of creating a backend structure for your
Web site will be much easier.
By "backend," I mean the various files and folders that make up your
site and the way in which they're organized. An intelligent backend
structure is the foundation of a low-maintenance, low-stress Web site. If
you can create an efficient structure, you'll have much less to worry about
every time you update your Web site — and updating is pretty much a
necessity if you want to stay vital in the online realm.
Ideally, you want to have all of your content finalized first. That way
you'll be able to answer most of the above questions without hesitation.
Let's say you work for a stapler company that carries 17 different models.
You'll probably have pictures and blurbs for each one, maybe detailed spec
sheets, price lists, customer testimonials — the works. Figuring out
how to clearly present all
of this material on a Web page is crucial, but organizing it in the backend
is also important. Having the content there in front of you will make the
architecture design much easier.
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