What is it?
At its core, Information Architecture is all about how content is communicated; ensuring others understand how to navigate content and get what they want.
Information Architecture is also linked to language and using consistent terms to help others understand your content without getting confused by mixed terms.
When applying this to the web, Information Architecture is how the content on your site links together. It is how users make their way through your content to achieve their goal.
Why is it important?
If users can not complete their goal or reach a dead end, they will leave your website. This will contribute to bounce rates and lower your conversion rates. Users who leave your site due to this kind of frustration are unlikely to return.
Having a clear journey strengthens your Information Architecture, aids conversions and increases user satisfaction. If users can complete their goal smoothly, they are more likely to become a loyal customer.
Including clear links and onward steps creates stable internal linking which has benefits for SEO as well.
What to do next?
- Carry out a UX audit paired with data analysis to identify pages
with high exit rates. This will point to pages which do not have a clear onward journey.
- Walk through your user journeys and identify areas with dead ends or that loop. If you can’t find a way through quickly, it’s likely your users can’t either.
- Ensure every page on your site has a call to action. What is the one thing you want a user to do on each page?
- Adding actions can be part of a content review and potential design enhancement. It can also be done relatively quickly by adding text links or buttons to sections you already have.
- Speak to us if you need assistance.
