Not every site needs a site map, they can certainly be a good idea. Site maps provide a dual purpose: They provide search engine spiders easy access to all of your site pages and they provide site visitors easy access to all of your site pages. The difference is that search engines and visitors access your site map differently and therefore there are different methods that need to be applied to creating site map(s) that are friendly for both engines and search spiders.

Small sites typically don't need a site map so long as all pages are linked in the main navigation. Once you get into main and sub-navigation menu's then site maps are helpful in allowing search engines and visitors to quickly find anything they are looking for within just a couple of clicks. A single site map can be used for both purposes or multiple site maps can be created. Here we'll address creating site maps for spiders and humans separately.

Site Map For Spiders

.xml file

An .xml document should be added to your site's root directory containing links to all site pages. This .xml file should then be referenced should be compiled and placed into a proper .xml document which should be uploaded into the root directory.

Robots.txt file

With your .xml site map file in place you must then make it accessible to search spiders. Reference the site map in your robots.txt file by adding a line for sitemap: URL (example: sitemap: http://www.polepositionmarketing.com/sitemap.xml)

Keep current

Be sure that your .xml file is updated and uploaded frequently, or at least as often as pages are added or removed from your site. Large sites should implement an automated site map update monthly or even weekly or daily.

Site Map For Visitors

Navigation links

A site map designed for human visitors is just like any other website page. Link to the site map page should be included in the primary navigation or the site's global footer. Visitors should be able to find this link without too much searching.

Additional page links

Site map should also be linked from various pages within the site such as Help pages and your custom 404-redirect page. This helps point visitors to the site map as a quick and easy means to find what they need.

Overview

It's helpful to provide a short overview paragraph at the top of your site map page. This can be a nice introduction should someone land on this page directly from a search engine or elsewhere.

Heading and layout

The layout of the site map should present a clear visual hierarchal structure or your website. Both headings and sub-headings should be used above properly grouped links.

Text links & descriptions

Site map should primarily use textual links and page should not be cluttered with images or other distractions. It is also a good idea to provide an additional short description (provided there is room) for each link that allows the visitor to better understand where each link will take them.

Keep current

Be sure that your site map is updated and uploaded frequently, or at least as often as pages are added or removed from your site.

As I said above, not every site needs a site map. But those that do should be sure that the site map(s) they create are actually benefiting them. And the best way to do that is to make sure your site maps provide maximum usability for visitors and search engine spiders.

Here are essential things that you have to understand in web development.

1. Web appearance and Usability

Most newcomers often think that appearance of web site is the measurement of how it will fare in terms of traffic and visitors visiting the site but this premise is not totally true.

Yes, appearance is really important in web design but it is not the sole measurement of success of a site. Of course it will not be good to see if the site is shabby and not maintained properly but aside from appearance, you have to consider the usability of each content and links that you have posted there.

If example you posted large beautiful image but it is unrelated to content of your site, do you think your reader will appreciate that? No, viewers will likely appreciate a relatively small image related to your content than an image that is totally unrelated no matter how pretty it is.

Usability is a key in web design. Do not just put pretty but totally unnecessary images. All images and links should be useful to your site.

If you are building a portfolio, post only related sample projects that you have previously work and you don't have to mention the projects that you did not accept.

If you want use the site to sell products, it will be better if you describe them in brief and concise way and avoid unnecessary description.

2. Purpose

What is the purpose of your web site? Do you want to earn additional income? Do you want to use the site to display your portfolio? Or do you want to sell and trade goods?

Purpose will likely to give you the design that you need. If you are a member of affiliate marketing, then you have to post marketing ads to your site to generate income through pay-per-click method.

If you are designing a web site to use it as your portfolio, then you have to post there your resume and sample projects that you have done in the past.

If you would like to sell or trade goods, then you can have to post all your products, pricelist and payment options in the web site.

3. Information

Information enriched websites are the ones who always get new visitors everyday. There are many web sites being launched in the Internet everyday but not all these web sites will offer new and updated information everyday or every week. Most of these web sites will likely to offer the same articles and tidbits for the rest of the year.

If you don't update your site often, your visitors will likely to loose interest in visiting your site, as there will be another site to offer new and more exciting articles and contents.

Competition is hard in web sites that is why you have to keep it updated to current new trends and new information to make them return to your site.

You can consider weekly newsletter as part of your web design. This is one way to keep your site interesting and informative to readers.

A dedicated server is a type of web hosting system where the client leases a web server for themselves only, and no-one else shares it. Having a secure private network can give great peace of mind, particularly for firms who have sensitive personal and financial information concerning their clients.

This also means that you can be assured having full access to the data processing power and memory of the server whenever you may need it, as opposed to being at the mercy of other users on your server who may decide to take up a lot of power or memory just when you need it most.

Many suppliers of dedicated servers will let you have unlimited bandwidth, which means that you can have as much online traffic as you want to your dedicated server without being charged any extra fees. A major advantage of leasing dedicated servers is that you can always have the latest top of the range hardware for your business applications, just like when you lease a car and change it after three months to another newer model.

The suppler will have access to the latest technology and you will not be stuck with equipment that is getting more and more out of date. Similarly the dedicated server supplier will be able to save you money. For example they will be able to broker advantageous licensing deals for associated services like control panel access.

Another major advantage of dedicated servers is the ability to choose your operating system, for example Linux or Windows, so you can have the kind of operating system that fits the needs of your business. The ability to have full remote control of your dedicated server is an important requirement. This way, you can have access to the server control panel whenever you want, from anywhere in the world. You may need for example to re-boot your server, and with this capability you can do it yourself.

Effective technical support is vital if you have a dedicated server. You need to have access to experts whenever you need them, and the best dedicated server suppliers will be able to provide this kind of support twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. These experts will be able to manage and monitor your server, particular during times when there is a lot of online traffic.

The best dedicated server suppliers will have assembled a comprehensive online knowledge base, where you can read frequently asked questions. This is a great way to get a steer on what to do, especially at the beginning of a new arrangement. It is important to work with a dedicated server suppler who has a flexible back-up capability, which can be added to as your business grows, or you amalgamate with other companies.

Most suppliers of dedicated servers will have a number of packages that they can offer you. These will be typical arrangements of hardware and levels of management and monitoring that they find works well with other clients who are similar to you in size and business needs.