Your website is probably confusing as hell.
I audit sites every week. Same problem over and over – beautiful design, zero logic. Users land, get lost, leave frustrated. And you wonder why your conversion rates suck.
Here’s the thing: information architecture isn’t about making pretty sitemaps. It’s about building a logical structure that guides users to what they need without making them think.
Let me show you the exact process I use to fix this mess. No theory, just what actually works.
Why most website architecture fails (and costs you money)
Stop thinking your users care about your company structure. They don’t.
I see this pattern:
- Navigation mirrors the org chart instead of user needs
- Content organized by what makes sense internally
- Five clicks to find basic information (and that’s if users even try)
- Search that returns garbage results
The result? Users bounce. Sales calls asking questions your site should answer. Support tickets for things that should be self-service.
Your information architecture is literally costing you money every single day.
The research that actually matters
Before touching any wireframes or sitemaps, you need to understand three things:
1. What users actually want (not what you think they want)
Forget personas with cute names and stock photos. I’m talking about real behavioral patterns:
Search query analysis: Pull your site search data. What are people actually typing? These exact phrases should inform your navigation labels and content structure.
Entry point mapping: Most users don’t start on your homepage. Check Analytics – where do they actually land? Each entry point needs clear paths forward.
Task completion tracking: What are users trying to accomplish? Set up goal tracking for key tasks. You’ll be shocked at the friction points.
2. How competitors organize (and where they fail)
I’m not saying copy competitors. I’m saying learn from their mistakes:
- Navigation patterns: Screenshot their menus. What works? What’s confusing?
- Content depth: How many clicks to critical info?
- Search functionality: Test their search with common queries
- Mobile experience: Most sites break on mobile. Don’t be most sites.
Spend an hour pretending to be a customer on competitor sites. The pain points you experience? Your users feel those too.
3. Your actual content (not what you wish you had)
Content audit sounds boring. Know what’s more boring? Redesigning twice because you didn’t account for reality.
The brutal honesty audit:
- List every page that exists
- Check analytics – what gets traffic?
- Identify redundant content (you have more than you think)
- Find the gaps users complain about
I regularly find sites with 5 different pages explaining the same service slightly differently. Stop it. One clear page beats five confusing ones.
Building sitemaps that don’t suck
Your sitemap isn’t a creative exercise. It’s a logical structure based on user needs.
Start with user tasks, not page names
Wrong approach: “We need an About page, Services page, Blog…”
Right approach: “Users need to understand our expertise, compare service options, find specific solutions…”
See the difference? One builds pages. The other solves problems.
The hub and spoke model that actually works
I’ve tested dozens of structures. This pattern consistently performs:
Primary hubs (main navigation):
- What you do (services/products)
- Who you serve (industries/use cases)
- Why you’re different (about/approach)
- How to start (contact/pricing)
Spokes (sub-navigation):
- Specific solutions under each hub
- Related content and resources
- Clear paths between related topics
Here’s the kicker – this isn’t revolutionary. It’s just logical. Yet most sites ignore logic for creativity.
Depth matters (but not how you think)
Three clicks to any content? Outdated rule. What matters is logical progression.
Users will click 10 times if each click makes sense and moves them forward. They’ll abandon after one click if they’re confused.
Focus on clarity, not click count.
User flows that actually convert
Stop designing pages in isolation. Design journeys.
Map real scenarios, not ideal paths
Your ideal user flow: Homepage → Services → Contact Form → Sale!
Reality: Blog post → Another blog post → About page → Services → Pricing → Leave → Return 3 days later → Contact
Map the messy reality, not the fantasy.
Entry points determine everything
A user from Google searching “enterprise CRM pricing” has different needs than someone from your LinkedIn post about company culture.
For each major entry point:
- What’s their mindset?
- What do they need next?
- How do we guide without forcing?
I track at least 10 different user flows for every site. Each needs consideration.
The forgotten flows that kill conversions
Everyone maps the purchase flow. Nobody maps these critical paths:
The researcher flow: Gathering info for future decisions. Need downloadable resources, easy bookmarking, clear differentiation.
The validator flow: Boss sent them to verify you’re legit. Need credentials, case studies, quick wins.
The support flow: Existing customer with problems. Need self-service options, clear escalation, search that works.
Miss these flows, miss conversions.
Navigation that doesn’t make users think
Your navigation is not a place to be clever. It’s a utility that should be invisible.
Primary navigation rules that work
Label clarity beats creativity:
- “Services” not “What We Do”
- “Pricing” not “Investment”
- “Contact” not “Let’s Talk”
Users scan for keywords they recognize. Give them what they expect.
The 7±2 rule still applies: Human short-term memory handles 5-9 items comfortably. Your main nav shouldn’t exceed this. Everything else goes in footer or section nav.
Mobile-first always: If it doesn’t work on mobile, it doesn’t work. Period. Test your navigation on a phone before anything else.
Bonus: Mobile-first IA isn’t just UX—it’s SEO. Google’s mobile-first indexing means if users can’t navigate your mobile nav, Google won’t either.
The mega menu trap
Everyone wants mega menus. Most shouldn’t have them.
Only use mega menus if:
- You have genuinely complex offerings
- Users need to compare options
- You can organize logically
- Mobile experience won’t suffer
Otherwise, stick to simple dropdowns. Complexity doesn’t equal sophistication.
Search as navigation
For content-heavy sites, search IS navigation. Yet most site search is garbage.
Minimum viable search:
- Auto-complete that actually helps
- Typo tolerance
- Clear results formatting
- Filter options that make sense
If you can’t build good search, don’t build search. A bad search is worse than no search.
SEO and information architecture: Stop treating them separately
Companies plan their IA without thinking about SEO. Then wonder why they can’t rank.
Your information architecture IS your SEO foundation.
Three ways your IA structure affects SEO
URL structure that works for humans and Google
Let’s cut the noise: Make your URLs readable.
❌ Bad: /services/solution-1/enterprise
✅ Good: /crm-software/enterprise-pricing
Every URL should tell users (and Google) exactly what they’ll find. And here’s the kicker – descriptive URLs get clicked more in search results. Better CTR = better rankings.
URL best practices that actually matter:
- Include primary keywords naturally
- Keep them short but descriptive
- Use hyphens, not underscores
- Avoid parameter soup (?id=123&cat=45)
- Match URL structure to site hierarchy
Strategic internal linking that actually helps
Internal linking does three jobs:
- Helps users find related content
- Passes SEO value between pages
- Shows Google your site structure
How to do it right:
- Link related services to each other with descriptive anchor text
- Create topic clusters around main themes
- Build logical hierarchies Google can follow
- Add contextual links within content (not just navigation)
I audit sites with thousands of pages and three internal links. That’s leaving money on the table.
The keyword research that informs structure
Before finalizing any navigation label, check reality:
If 10,000 people search “CRM pricing” but zero search “CRM investment,” guess which label to use?
The process that works:
- List all your navigation labels
- Check search volume for each
- Find the balance between clarity and search demand
- Test variations with users
Don’t sacrifice clarity for keywords. But don’t ignore search reality either.
Site depth and crawl efficiency
Google has a crawl budget. Waste it on deep, meaningless paths and important pages don’t get indexed.
The sweet spot:
- Important pages within 3 clicks of homepage
- Logical hierarchy search engines can understand
- XML sitemap that matches actual structure
- No orphan pages floating in space
Fix your site architecture and watch your organic traffic grow. Not because of tricks, but because Google finally understands what you offer.
Wireframes that solve real problems
Wireframes aren’t about layout. They’re about logic.
Start with the job, not the design
For every page, answer: What job does this page need to do?
Homepage job: Orient visitors and route them correctly Service page job: Explain value and drive next action
About page job: Build trust and credibility Blog post job: Demonstrate expertise and capture interest
If you can’t define the job, you can’t design the page.
The StoryBrand structure that converts
I don’t worship StoryBrand, but their structure works for key pages:
- Problem headline – Address the pain immediately
- Solution positioning – How you solve it
- Simple plan – Three steps max
- Social proof – Right when doubt creeps in
- Clear CTA – One primary action
This isn’t the only way, but it’s proven. Start here, optimize later.
Mobile wireframes first (seriously)
Still starting with desktop? You’re doing it backwards.
Mobile constraints force clarity:
- What’s truly essential?
- What order matters most?
- How does it flow vertically?
Design mobile first, desktop becomes easy. Design desktop first, mobile becomes a nightmare.
The testing that exposes the truth
Your information architecture isn’t done when design starts. That’s when real testing begins.
Tree testing reveals the truth
Before any visual design, test your structure:
- Give users common tasks
- Show only your navigation labels
- See where they click
- Watch them fail
- Fix the obvious problems
Humbling? Yes. Necessary? Absolutely.
I’ve never run a tree test that didn’t reveal major issues. Never.
Card sorting for real insight
Think you know how users categorize your content? You’re wrong.
Run an open card sort:
- List all your content
- Let users group naturally
- See patterns emerge
- Adjust your assumptions
The mental models in your head aren’t the ones in your users’ heads.
The 5-second test that predicts success
Show someone your wireframe for 5 seconds. Take it away. Ask:
- What does this company do?
- What can I do here?
- What should I click first?
Can’t answer clearly? Your IA needs work.
Common architecture mistakes that tank conversions
Learn from patterns I see repeatedly:
The “we do everything” navigation
Trying to showcase every capability in main nav = showcasing nothing effectively.
Pick your primary value. Everything else supports that.
The curse of internal jargon
Your clever product names mean nothing to newcomers.
“Solutions” vs “Products” vs “Offerings” – pick one normal word and stick with it.
Overengineering for edge cases
“But what if someone needs to find our 2019 sustainability report?”
Footer link. Done. Don’t complicate primary paths for 0.1% use cases.
Design by committee = death
Getting input is good. Design by committee is death.
One person owns IA decisions. Input from many, decisions by one.
IA fixes that move the needle fast
Stop reading. Start doing:
This week:
- Run your site search report – what are users actually looking for?
- Map your current sitemap – bet it’s more complex than you think
- Track three user flows in Analytics – where do they break?
Next 30 days:
- Run tree testing on your current structure
- Audit competitor navigation patterns
- Wireframe one critical user flow improvement
Next quarter:
- Implement navigation improvements
- Measure impact on key metrics
- Iterate based on data, not opinions
The bottom line on information architecture
Good IA is invisible. Bad IA is why users leave.
Stop organizing for yourself. Start organizing for users. Stop being clever. Start being clear.
Your website should guide users effortlessly to what they need. Every click should feel obvious. Every page should do its job.
Get this right, watch conversions improve. Get this wrong, no amount of pretty design will save you.
The choice is yours. But your users already made theirs – they’ll leave if confused.
Fix your information architecture. Fix your conversion problem.
Need help untangling your site’s information architecture? Stop losing users to confusion. Let’s audit your current structure and build one that actually converts.
