Website planning structure – pages, sitemap, requirements and a simple RFP

Plan your website structure in four steps: goal, reader, pages, content

A website structure is the blueprint behind the design: which pages exist, in what order information appears, and where visitors are invited to get in touch or book. Settling it before design and copy makes every meeting more concrete and prevents major rework halfway through. Work through it in this order:

• Goal: inquiries, bookings, brochure requests, job applications or online sales – pick the one action you most want more of
• Reader: first-time visitors, people comparing options, existing customers – note who they are and what they want to know
• Pages: list the pages that answer those questions and group them into a menu hierarchy (your sitemap)
• Content: for each page, the key points, the photos and the button at the end

A single sheet of paper or a spreadsheet is enough to start. Draw arrows for "after reading this page, where does this person go next?" and missing pages and dead ends quickly become obvious.

A basic page structure and sitemap example

Small business and shop websites typically launch with around 5 to 15 pages. Start from these core pages and add or remove to fit your business:

• Home: whose problem you solve, your strengths, entry points to main services, a contact button
• Services or menu: what is included, price guide, how it works – one page per service if you offer several
• Why choose us: your approach, explained with concrete details
• About and location: address, opening hours, map, a message from the owner
• FAQ: answers to the worries people have before contacting you
• News or blog: only if you can keep it updated; skipping it is fine
• Contact or booking: form, phone, LINE and other channels gathered in one place

The weight shifts by industry. Dental clinics and beauty salons rely on menu and prices, access and booking; renovation companies on the work process, service area and quote requests; restaurants on the menu, interior photos and table reservations. If you sell online in Japan, you also need product listings, a cart, the legally required Specified Commercial Transactions Act notice, and shipping and returns pages.

Structuring the home page and inner pages

Once the page list is set, decide the order of information inside each page. On the home page, the deciding moment is the first screen on a phone: can a visitor tell what you do and whether it is relevant to them?

• Put a one-line description of your service and the main button on the first screen
• End every page with a clear next step – contact, booking or a related page
• Keep the main menu to about seven items so every page is within two clicks
• Explain each topic in depth on one page and link to it from elsewhere
• Use the words people search for, such as area name plus service, in page titles and headings

A settled structure also shows how much copy each page needs. Our guide to writing website copy covers that next step.

What to include in your website requirements

Alongside the structure, write down the features and conditions the site needs. For a small site this does not have to be a long document – a simple list aligns every quote and avoids "that was not included" surprises later.

• Goals: the action you want more of and the numbers you will check after launch, such as inquiries
• Page list: the sitemap and a rough outline of each page
• Features: contact form, booking, online store, multiple languages, blog, member area
• CMS and updates: WordPress, Shopify, BASE or other preferences, and who updates the site how often
• Materials: who provides the logo, photos and copy, and whether you need a photographer or writer
• Setup: current domain, hosting and email, and whose name they are registered in
• Marketing and tracking: GA4, Search Console, ads and Google Business Profile
• After launch: maintenance, update support and security

You do not need every answer. Mark open points as "undecided" or "want advice" – studios can then suggest options and you can cover those first in conversation.

A simple website RFP template

An RFP (request for proposal) turns your requirements into a brief for studios. One to three pages is plenty, and sending the same document to several studios lets you compare proposals and quotes on equal terms. Fill in these nine points:

• 1. Company overview: what you do, your main customers, your strengths
• 2. Background: new site or renewal, and what is not working today
• 3. Goal and audience: who you want to reach and what you want them to do
• 4. Proposed structure: a draft sitemap
• 5. Features and conditions: forms, booking, e-commerce, languages, preferred CMS
• 6. Available materials: logo, photos, copy
• 7. Reference sites: two or three sites you like or compete with, and what you like about them
• 8. Budget and timing: a budget range and your target launch date
• 9. What you want back, and by when: structure proposal, design direction, quote, schedule

Sharing a budget range brings back proposals you can actually act on. In Japan, a small business site typically starts from a few hundred thousand yen, and the figure grows with pages and features. For choosing a studio, see how to order a website; for the full timeline to launch, see the website production process.

How UNANOBO works: your plan as a free demo first

A sitemap or an RFP is hard to picture as a finished site. UNANOBO takes your notes or your current site and builds a free demo that follows your planned structure. Clicking through the menu on your computer and phone shows missing pages or an awkward order of information right away.

The process is free demo, feedback, launch, growth. The founder handles every project personally, so you explain your requirements once and keep one contact through to improvements after launch. Everything runs by message, in Japanese or English. If your RFP is only half written, send what you have.