Plan Your Google Sites Website Effectively
Learning Objectives
- Define the purpose of your new website
- Understand how to structure your site logically
- Learn to gather and organise content before building your site
Introduction
Creating a new website can feel overwhelming, but proper planning makes the process much smoother. Before you dive into Google Sites and start building, you need to know what you're creating and why. This chapter covers the essential groundwork that will save you time and frustration later. We'll show you how to define your website's purpose, map out a logical structure, and gather your content beforehand.
Lessons
Lesson 1: Define Your Website's Purpose
Every successful website starts with a clear purpose. Ask yourself what you want your website to achieve. Do you want to inform visitors about your business? Sell products? Provide customer support? Share your portfolio?
Next, identify your target audience. Who are you trying to reach? Understanding your audience helps you make better decisions about design, content, and functionality.
Step 1: Write down your primary audience in one sentence.
Step 2: List three specific goals you want your website to achieve for this audience.
Here's a practical example: "My website is for local dog owners who need grooming services. I want to showcase my services, display customer reviews, and make it easy for people to book appointments."
This is the bit most people miss: Keep your goals specific and measurable. Instead of "increase sales," try "generate 10 new customer enquiries per month."
Lesson 2: Outline Your Site Structure
A well-planned structure helps visitors find what they need quickly. Think of your website structure like a filing cabinet – everything should have a logical place.
Start with your main pages. Most websites need these basics:
- Home page
- About page
- Services or Products page
- Contact page
Step 1: List all the essential pages your website needs.
Step 2: Decide if any main pages need subpages. For example, if you offer multiple services, each might need its own subpage.
Roll your sleeves up and sketch this out on paper. Draw boxes for each page and connect them with lines to show the relationships. This visual map will guide your building process.
Here's the quick version: Keep your structure simple. If visitors can't find what they need within three clicks, your structure is too complex.
Lesson 3: Gather and Organise Your Content
Before you start building, collect all the text, images, and other materials you'll need. This preparation prevents you from stopping mid-build to hunt for missing content.
Step 1: Create a new folder in Google Drive called "Website Content."
Step 2: Make subfolders named after each page of your site (Home, About, Services, Contact, etc.).
Step 3: Collect all your content – text, images, logos, contact details – and sort them into the appropriate folders.
This is what works best: Write your text content first, then find images to support it. This approach keeps your message clear and focused.
For images, make sure they're high quality and relevant to your content. Google Sites works well with images stored in Google Drive, so keep everything in one place.
Practice
Create a practice site structure for a local bakery website. Include at least four main pages and two subpages under the Products section. Draw or list your structure, then consider: Can a hungry customer find opening hours and location within two clicks?
FAQs
Q: How many pages should my Google Sites website have?
A: Start with 4-6 main pages. You can always add more later. It's better to have fewer pages with quality content than many pages with thin content.
Q: Can I change my site structure after I start building?
A: Yes, Google Sites lets you add, remove, and rearrange pages easily. However, planning first saves time and creates a better user experience.
Q: What if I don't have all my content ready?
A: You can build with placeholder content, but having real content helps you make better design decisions. At minimum, have your main headings and key information ready.
Jargon Buster
Site Structure: The way your website pages are organised and connected to each other.
Target Audience: The specific group of people you want to visit and use your website.
Content: All the text, images, videos, and other materials that will appear on your website.
Navigation: The menu and links that help visitors move around your website.
Wrap-up
With your website's purpose defined, structure mapped out, and content organised, you're ready to start building. This planning work might seem tedious, but it's the foundation of every successful website. In the next chapter, we'll begin the actual building process in Google Sites, where your preparation will pay off.
Remember to keep your audience in mind throughout the building process. Every decision should help them achieve their goals on your site.
Ready to start building? Join our community of website builders at: https://www.pixelhaze.academy/membership