In the past, almost every site had a site Map page listing all of their pages. The site Map page's role is to help visitors and search engine spiders to find information on the site. Now, many modern websites have removed the site map, instead of placing site maps in the site footer area. The Web site will list 20 sites (from large companies to small collections) to see how they can organize their footers flexibly to improve the usefulness of the site.
The benefits of placing site maps in the footer
1, to attract users to click and visitors to stay.
As you know, online readers will not be able to read any content on the page, they scroll and scan. The footer is the last place they look before they leave. Placing a site map in the footer may attract readers ' attention, increasing the number of clicks and reading on the page.
2. Make sure your users don't miss anything
Sometimes your visitors may be too lazy to click on a link to the site Map page and miss something, and in the footer there is a sitemap to ensure that your visitors are aware of each page.
3. Use your footer to promote related links.
You don't necessarily have to really list everything in your footer. You can use it as an alternative location to facilitate the reading of relevant important pages.
4. Save time for readers
In the footer there is a site map that allows users to quickly jump from one page to another.
5. You save visitors ' clicks
Place a site map in the footer, instead of placing a separate page, you save the user's clicks.
6. Enhanced Layout design
Don't know what to put into the footer? Site maps can be used to populate, which makes your site look bigger.
Digg
Digg maintains a good and clean head by placing only categories of content. The head is focused on the user, while the footer is focused on the company.
Mozilla-firefox
Thanks to the Sitemap, just one look, I know what's on the site.
Apple
If you have a huge site (in the content), put a full sitemap footer may be insane? You can learn from the smart apple.com, split sitemap to the section. For example, in the Apple section, you will only see the Apple sitemap.
Goodbarry
Although Goodbarry's footer site map doesn't list all the content on his site, it lists important parts.
White House
On the newly revamped White House web site, it's easier to browse through the site with a drop-down menu and footer site map.
Miro
Miro website Pass "Looking for something?" Text bar to separate footer site map
Six Apart
You can also use the site map to connect to your Web site like six Apart. In the footer, the blog section, there are links to the sister sites: Typepad,movable,and Vox.
Clearspring
On the Clearspring Web site, it divides its services into two parts: Launchpad and Widgetmedia.
Sqarespace
Squarespace's website map tells you which pages have been visited. Note that the Web page you visit has a tiny detection mark, not a regular triangular icon.
SugarSync
SugarSync's footer lists only the main levels of the site, and a separate site map lists all the pages.