Every website has a unique sitemap that corresponds to the site's structure. A sitemap is relevant for visitors and developers who need to understand how its components relate. When you're creating your website, you must be clear about this structure to facilitate navigation. Next, we’ll explain how to use a Site Map Template to show your website project's architecture for better management.

Since a website may contain dozens of web pages with different types of information, its structure may be complex. Stakeholders who continuously upload website content and change design elements may get confused if the site's architecture is unclear. The same goes for website visitors, as they want to find information on your website quickly.

In this sense, site maps are route maps, sketches, and visuals that help to simplify the edition of the specific website. In other words, it's a simple visual representation of the website structure. This way, developers, architects, designers, stakeholders, and other participants can create the website's content on different pages and change any element.

Typically, there are three types of sitemaps. Each of them puts emphasis on a different aspect and function. The first type you find below is the most common. This sitemap is what content creators utilize to organize their creations.

This type is the visual diagram we discuss in this article. It corresponds to a visual representation of the website's functionality and distribution. A visual sitemap also shows the site navigation and how the pages are related to your site.

An HTML sitemap is a plethora of clickable links to different pages of your website. It corresponds to an alternative way users can utilize to navigate through the website. Generally, a sitemap of this nature has text as a link, but you can also use icons to improve visibility. An excellent example is the Bjarke Ingels Group website.

This sitemap is a bit more complicated. It corresponds to a code-based sitemap containing all the URLs of the website, which search engines use to find and index your site. In this sense, the main keywords are relevant for engines to find it when a user searches for a particular word.

Incorporating a site map in your website design process brings multiple benefits to your business. Beyond giving a clear route map for planning website architecture, using visual sitemaps offers the following advantages. Most sites hide this sitemap since it’s designed for computers and professionals looking for solutions.

Sharing general information about the site you and your team are building is more accessible thanks to a sitemap. It will allow you to communicate your ideas better and let other developers know what part of the website you're working on. You can incorporate a reference in any part of the website you're working on to notify other stakeholders of what you're doing, even on the same page.

This advantage is closely related to the previous point. With a well-designed sitemap, you can determine and communicate to other stakeholders how you intervene in the hierarchical structure of the old or new website. Due to this, you and other members won't be stepping on each other's heels when working simultaneously.

Creating a new website from scratch is more than just a few clicks. Generally, designing, improving, or updating a website involves hours and hours of working. Good website mapping saves time and resources since you and your team know exactly what to do and where. Furthermore, it allows you to navigate better for the website and take risks when developing since a map is a controlled environment.

This point is also related to the previous one since repeating information wastes resources, such as time, money, and material resources. That said, using a sitemap gives your business the benefit of preventing duplications and organizing existing info best. This is also relevant for the audience as it needs clear information even to purchase products.

Generally, a good website structure template provides a clear information hierarchy through a tree map.

You will likely find the main page, main categories, and links to the critical pages at the top. After this, you will find subcategories or landing pages to buy a product or hire a service.

Let's see a sitemap example.

The image above is the main page of Microsoft's official website. As you can see, at the bottom of the image, there are several categories: Shop Surface Devices, Microsoft 365, Buy Xbox Games and Consoles, Get Windows 11, Shop for Accessories, and Shop Business.

When we click "Buy Xbox Games and Consoles," we're led to the next page, where we can choose several types of subcategories, such as Digital Games or Xbox Game Pass. Subcategories are at the top of the page. Several entries are also allocated on this page. Now, if we click Xbox Game Pass, we're led to a landing page where we can choose the Xbox Game Pass subscription we prefer.

Talking about sitemap elements, all good examples of sitemaps should contain the following basic features:

• Homepage;

• Features;

• About;

• Blog;

• Landing pages;

• Reviews;

• Contact;

• Support;

• FAQs.

When you edit one of the templates we share below, please pay special attention to these essential elements we've mentioned. Of course, if you need another relevant category for your website, you can include it since these are Microsoft Word templates.

Now we share a couple of templates you can use to create a new file or edit the existing ones. These are printable documents, so you can quickly identify your site's structure.

This basic sitemap template is one of the best architectural structure templates since it's very straightforward and transparent. This template works for many websites since it integrates basic categories, such as the About Us, Research, and Contact Us sections. Since there, you can customize all the categories and subcategories you want to visualize your business's big picture better.

You can download this basic website sitemap template from Templatelab.

This template is a short site map you can use to organize your projects, regardless of their nature. It looks very simple at first glance, and do not misunderstand us, it is, but you can extend it and add it to all the categories and subcategories your site needs. Besides, since this template is a PowerPoint document, you can fill the boxes with the information you consider to keep your map organized.

You can download this short and basic website sitemap template from Templatelab.

Whether the template you use is an Excel or Word document, you must have the proper Microsoft Office suite to edit it. Here, on RoyalCDKeys, we have multiple solutions to help you correct this problem if you still need to get a version.

We offer several editions of Microsoft Office 2021 and 2019, from Microsoft Office 2021 Professional Plus Key Retail Global at €5,80 to Microsoft Office 2019 Pro Plus BIND Global Retail Key Global at €17,50.

We invite you to check all the options that RoyalCDKeys puts at your fingertips and decide what suite will treat your files better and give you more tools for your business.

A site map template will undoubtedly facilitate the navigation of your website. Thanks to this, the designer will have access to the big picture of the architecture of your site. Visitors and customers will also benefit as they better understand your website and easily find what they want.

Browse our blog for other exciting and free templates for your business. We're continuously uploading valuable tools and documents you can use to manage your website's functions better. Last but not least, to be aware, sign up for free, create your account, and join the newsletter. This way, you won't miss out on anything!