* The overall taxonomy should be wide, not deep * Use primary terms rather than marketing oriented or slang terms (the goal is to use language that can be understood by a new employee on their first day of work) * Try to keep some rigidity to taxonomy, at least at top levels -- this promotes familiarity for users and enhances usability * Build two taxonomies; primary being functional-centric and secondary being organization-centric underneath functional-centric * Try to limit your structure to just 2-7 items under each branch, otherwise consolidate * Use real content to validate your taxonomy * Define, validate, re-tool, define, validate, re-tool, and so on –- taxonomy development is an iterative process * The structure should be very broad on top and narrow at lowest levels

Remember that taxonomy is a tool to locate content. The best way to verify you have a model that works is to use focus groups to test structure. Ask group where they would expect to find a specific example of content within structure and see if that maps with what you’ve defined. If they keep missing, you need to go back and re-work structure based on their feedback.

If you feel that hiring a custom website designer is not your cup of tea, and you want to try to do it yourself for less money, take a look at our section on “How To Build A Website”. You can do it yourself; you just have to take it one step at a time.

If you don’t know any “techies” to help you build your website, you can find one at www.elanceonline.com. This site allows you to post a job and have qualified professionals “bid” on it. You can also browse through service providers that have posted portfolios online and select a vendor based on their past work. Either way, this site provides an efficient way to put you in touch with qualified technical resources without undue effort on your part.

In any case, you will want to make sure you have a detailed scope of work agreement and contract in place before you start working with a developer. There is nothing more frustrating for either you or your designer than to have a miscommunication about what exactly you expect to receive and how much your developer expects to get paid. Make sure you get it all in writing!

In conclusion, you should hire a Custom Web Designer or Developer if you feel that you are too busy or not capable of creating a quality site yourself. There are three types of site developers: Custom Website Designers, Web Developers, and Search Engine Optimization/Marketing Experts. If you do not have technical contacts to do work, you can find qualified professionals here: www.elanceonline.com. You should make sure you have your ideas organized about your website, and you should make sure you get a contract with a detailed scope of work signed by your consultant before work begins on your site.