When it comes to building a website there are 3 main site structures: Linear, Webbed (often called random), and Hierarchial. Depending on your needs for the website dictates what type of structure you will use. 

Linear is pretty straight forward as it has an obvious beginning, middle, and end. Linear websites are useful when it is important for your user not to miss a single step. Think of when you are checking out on Amazon and you can see the 4 steps needed to make the purchase. (Yes, I realize I probably do too much online shopping when that is the first thing that comes to mind, but hey what can I say but yes to 2-day shipping!)

Webbed is commonly referred to as random as it does not have a set navigation action and allows the user to choose where they wish to go. This can be difficult if there are many pages as there is a need to link all pages to one another to continue navigation on the site, so caution is advised if trying to use this method with a lot of content.

Hierarchial is what you probably see most often as it allows for sites to be highly organized and contain a lot of information. They usually start with a home page and then link to subpages. It is often referred to as a tree-like structure. The benefit of this type of structure is that pages can be broken down into categories and then into subcategories, all while being linked back to the home page through a breadcrumb trail. Yes, like Hansel and Gretel.

Now that you know more about structure options, you can start wireframing! Read our article Wireframes 101 if you are aren’t quite sure what that means. Or if you would rather leave it to the professionals we would love to help you with creating the perfect website for your brand.