The online world is expanding, and web development is, without doubt, a field that has been advancing. There's so much to explore and so much to learn. The latest web development technologies help make things so much easier for web developers to create amazing websites.
Before getting into what's in the heading, let's understand the concept of sitemap and Wireframe. After that, I will help you understand the use of sitemap and wireframe for building any website as you read this blog.
What is a Sitemap?
A sitemap is a flow of the website that can be brief as a blueprint of the website because it helps the Web designer give brief information about the architecture of the website.
Nowadays, modern web design is created from a sitemap, as it is hard to understand the web flow through live design. So, to understand the website flow, developers, testers, and designers use sitemap and wireframe simultaneously to understand the architecture of the website and the interrelation of all interlinked pages.
A sitemap is basically a blueprint, but strictly, it is designed to remember which page will exist on your website if needed in a simpler way. It is the research and development of any website before designing and developing.
The sitemap is designed on the basis of client requirements. After gathering requirements, it is designed using pen and paper and shows where each page fits into our live website, and after that, the wireframe is designed.
Sitemap helps designers and developers design and develop websites according to their web flow, and it makes it easy to map web pages where they belong or where they have to move from this page. In simple terms, it provides steps to use the website.
Next, let us look into what a wireframe is.
What is a Wireframe?
A wireframe is a basic structure of the website, designed after lots of research by an analyst to make things easy for the user. The wireframe is not the final design but is used as a guide to visual design and understanding the flow. This makes it easy for web designers and developers to think about how their website will look from the basic design.
A wireframe is designed based on the gathered requirements to achieve the project's scope. This helps to understand a visual brief that is designed on paper, which module will stay, and where it will stay.
There are multiple tools and platforms where wireframes can be designed like:
The wireframe is made after the sitemap is done. It gives a vast idea to implement the project in many different ways, including all the required things that will be used during designing and development and if we say it is from designing modules to integrating with API during development.
Basically, the wireframe is built from a design perspective to provide a full overview of the page layout, user flow, functionality, and intended behaviour of every page and module. There are two different types of wireframes available:
A low-fidelity wireframe includes only the necessary elements. It doesn’t need to have brand colors or precise spacing, or even icons. You can try to imagine what the final product will look like through this. It will contain simple shapes like rectangles, circles, etc.
A high fidelity wireframe requires more content, such as the exact size of your button and element, even if you could include the same colors and the content in brief.
How to create a Sitemap for Design?
Well, this is the first step of any project the whole program is set up starting from here and then it moves stepwise till the launch.
Creating a sitemap is all about designing a rough site of any website after knowing the scope to reach the goal.
There are also a few steps to creating site map and following the software engineering cycle during the web development:
Step 1: Gather all requirements.
Step 2: Understand the feasibility of the project.
Step 3: Start analyzing all fundamentals, including the time taken on the whole project.
Step 4: Bifurcate the task.
Step 5: Pick the right platform to develop. It can be any CMS or maybe any website builder.
Step 6: Start drawing the information architecture of the website by using pen paper or may be digitally.
There are three types of sitemap to be drawn during creating any website
1. Website Planning Type
The designer builds This type of sitemap while planning the new website. This will be in accordance with the requirements the creator will use for the sitemap and their website build.
2. The Human Visible
This type of sitemap is drawn in a structured way which looks similar to a flowchart. It is nothing but sorting the website and arranging elements to get the idea of which page comes first and what follows.
3. Structured Listing
This type of site map is designed in such a way that the audience can’t see it. It helps users get the best results from their search on search engines. These are called XML sitemaps and are crawled by search engines.
Below is a simple diagram of a sitemap for example:
Creating Wireframe from Sitemap
Creating a wireframe sitemap makes things easy to build a sitemap. It is,after getting a wireframe, easy to design and you have to think too much about it or research more. Now you just have to think about your content, where it will be on your website and web design.
Using a sitemap you are aware of pages that will be there in your website. According to that, you will start creating wireframe and webflow of your website. You will easily be able to map things in your design.
Put your elements according to the user’s needs while they visit the website. This is regarding what module comes first and which button will go along with the module. Below is the image of a low fidelity wireframe of a landing page:
How to use Sitemap and Wireframe in your Website?
Wireframe mockups help with everything from usability to page navigation. What's built for a HiDPI monitor looks different on a tablet. Small modifications to setup and scaling make a big difference. Without it, things can look messy. You made a mobile version but didn't design it well.
Professional websites use sitemaps. XML sitemaps help you appear in relevant searches and improve SEO. Visual sitemaps ensure intuitive site navigation and smart information architecture. HTML sitemaps let users find everything on your site, which is also preferred by search engines.
This is how sitemap and wireframe is important to use for any website. Even if you didn't realize it initially, site mapping and wireframing are crucial steps in developing a website. These are the fundamentals for crafting a one-of-a-kind user experience.
HTML, XML, and graphic sitemaps all serve the same purpose: they help users find their way through your site. But wireframes are equally important for refining the structure and flow of each page.
Employing both may help your site rise in the search engine rankings, leading to fewer visitors leaving without purchasing anything.
Wrapping Up
With attention spans so short and competition so high, designing your website and pages is vital for keeping users engaged. Sitemaps and wireframes help you create compelling user experiences and guide visitors to your desired pages. Laying out everything beforehand makes conversion pathways clean and distraction-free.
Producing different sitemap files is easier than it sounds. To know more about web development and web design, visit www.webdew.com. If you wish to design your website or need assistance with web development, contact us and we can make things easier for you.
Editor: Amrutha
