Organizing Website Content – Think Like a Librarian
Written by Angela Wills
When I go into a library, I’m in one of two states:
1.Looking for something to catch my eye.
2.Having a specific need and looking for a book to help.
How does the library accommodate these two completely different mindsets?
Well the library does an excellent job of meeting just about everybody where they are at and providing them with what they need. This is a system that has been in place for hundreds of years so it works pretty darn smoothly.
Here’s a list of some of the most common ways a local library sorts out information for you. As you read think about how these same principals can be applied to an information website (like a library on the net):
New Additions: At my local library there is shelf of new books that just came in and often there is a waiting list when a popular book shows up.
Computer Catalogue: I can head to the computer and do a search for different topics or browse by subject to see if something catches my fancy.
Walk The Aisles: If I’m feeling a bit random, I just walk up and down the isles looking through the different categories. Of course I spend a bit more time on the categories that I’m most interested in and maybe find a few books to take home.
Ask The Librarian: Of course if I’m stuck there is at least one person there at all times to help guide me through the vast amounts of information available for free.
Take Courses: My local library offers often the most basic of courses and training on a wide variety of topics. All I need to do is check the boards to see what is happening at the library in the near future.
Hear the Author Speak: Sometimes they’ll have local authors in to talk about their book.
Building a website full of fantastic information that no one can find is like building a tower of books that no one can read!
Let’s see how we can apply the above principals to our websites:
New Articles/New Posts: Don’t underestimate the power of letting your visitors or subscribers know about new content. They want to know what’s fresh, what’s new and when you point that out you’ll likely get more reads.
Website Categories: Do your website categories make sense? Are they broken down bit by bit so your visitor can quickly and easily find what they need?
Search: Can your visitors enter in a search term to find what they are looking for and come up with an easy to understand list?
Navigation: Can visitors easily ‘browse’ through your pages to ‘see what they can see’?
Offering Help: Can visitors easily access YOU or your staff to find out what they need to know?
Offering Training: Can you train your visitors and potential customers on how to find their way through your site, or products or services?
In many ways your local library may seem like an outdated version of the internet but we have a lot to learn from the way these centuries-old resources have been made available to the public. Consider checking out YOUR local library today if you’re in need of some website organization inspiration!
Ready for More Profit with Content?
If you'd like to learn to create content that builds your business, simply enter your first name and email address below and click "Subscribe". You'll instantly receive your guide and we'll keep you up-to-date with what's happening at Contentrix, content marketing news and more.
About the Author
Visit Angela Online at MarketersMojo.com
Everybody says "Content is King", but what does that mean for you? 
Alice Seba says:
Excellent analogy…good thinkin’ material!
Angela Wills says:
Hey glad you like it! And guess where I wrote it from? (hint – they’ve got books)