Site maps are sexy. Yes they are. Maybe not to you and me… but the search engines sure like them and that’s all that matters. Of course, your website visitors will appreciate them too. But (as usual) we’re getting ahead of ourselves…

What is a site map and why do you care?

Just like the name implies, it’s a map of your website. Or said another way, it’s a web page that contains direct links to every page of your website and:

• Makes it easy for search engines to find (index) all your pages while providing powerful clues as to the type of content on your website. This means it’s more likely that your website will show up in the right search results!

• Helps visitors see the breadth of information on your site and makes navigation easier by giving them another way to find what they’re looking for.

• Shows a bird’s eye view of things which helps when you’re planning to add new pages and sections to your website.

Are you ready to create your very own site map?

If you have a fairly simple website (say, 50 pages or less) then just create a web page and add your links in a clear and organized bullet point format. Start with your main sections (e.g., Products, Support, About Us) and then add the links underneath that correspond to those sections.

Your website more complicated than that?

Then use one of the free or affordable site map tools such as: Free Sitemap Generator, Sitemapper, AllWebMenus, and XML Sitemaps.com. Besides quickly generating a regular site map, these tools can also create an XML site map (learn more) to submit to search engines. This will come in handy if your website is new or if you’ve recently made a bunch of changes and need to tell the search engines.

When done right, your site map will look like a table of contents or maybe like Yahoo! Directory with each topic having its relevant links under it.

Now just add a “Site Map” link to your website navigation so that it shows up on every page of your site. That way the search engines and your website visitors can always find it.

It’s time to create your site map… but don’t take too long. The search engines are waiting!

Advertising your website means sending potential customers to your homepage right? Why not, since it’s the first page you want prospects to see so they can decide where to go next. Makes perfect sense… even though it’s the wrong strategy!

Here are five important reasons why:

• Your homepage serves many types of visitors. You’ve got customers and prospects landing on your homepage. Customers trust you, know how to navigate your site, and are open to discovering something new along the way. Prospects don’t know you, are very impatient, and have one specific purpose in mind. Sound the same? Not at all! You’ve also got homepage users that want to learn about your company, find a job, or need help with a problem. Remember, without a focus on prospects, it’s hard to turn them into customers.

• Everybody influences your homepage design. Your homepage reflects that great tradition of democracy… everybody gets a say! Marketing, sales, editorial, technology, and let’s not forget the CEO, each has an opinion on what the homepage should look like and how it can serve their (often conflicting) interests. So don’t be surprised if your online sales numbers aren’t what you’d hoped for.

• Homepages are about navigation… not sales! Most website visitors are thinking: “just passing through”, when they land on a homepage. That’s why good navigation is a rule of homepage design. But having your homepage be the first page a prospect sees also means they may be tempted to navigate to a place where it’s much harder for you to convince them to buy.

• Homepages have many distractions. Blinking ads, breaking news stories, and featured products… not to mention some person talking in a video! How will your prospects know where to click? Your homepage can be like an unfamiliar mall during the Christmas shopping season when you have one last present to find. Do you really want potential customers feeling like that?

• Homepages are hard to optimize. Your homepage serves multiple audiences and purposes, so it can be hard to optimize since there are lots of trade-offs to consider. Too many when compared to a “landing page” that has only one goal in mind: get the prospect to order the product, fill out the form, download the white paper… or whatever action you want your prospects to take!

Instead of using your homepage, you need to create a landing page customized for your ad campaign, target audience, specific offer… you get the idea! And landing pages are easy to set up and optimize, especially when compared to your homepage.