1-2-3 Prioritize!

Large organizations have capacity to generate volumes of content. So enterprise information architecture (IA) is all about prioritizing content in an information hierarchy. Information Architecture creates website order.

Connectivity is key with content-heavy websites.

It?s all about placing content in its proper context. It?s what companies need to succeed in the attention economy. Why?

Enterprise Information Architecture

Information lives in a large decentralized environment called the Internet. Consumers choose what content they want to consume. And they consume it when THEY wish to consume it.

So companies have to organize their content around users? needs, not by business function. Users don?t care about the ?org chart.? They care about how they find and consume content and the ease at which they can digest that content.

Organizations with poorly structured, confusing or dead-end information eventually lose Visitors. The more data & content you have, the bigger your problem.

Put simply, information architecture is the art and science of organizing websites. Bringing it to the realm of the enterprise-level business demands clear understanding of the bigger picture. We form this picture by connecting our goals & objectives with the needs of the consumer. We then connect the two through Information Architecture.

Many onsite metrics & conversion problems experienced by enterprise-level Chief Marketing Officer can be minimized via proper IA implementation

The Challenge of Enterprise Information Architecture

While IA is the cornerstone of enterprise information architecture, it helps to know why implementing at a enterprise-level is harder. A corporate website is a more intimidating project. Not only is it heavily trafficked, it also has to reflect company-wide needs, not just the needs of single business unit or department.

More data and more onsite activity means exponential risk of UX roadblocks

Enterprise Information Architecture requires a playbook. This set of website rules constructs conversion funnels by connecting the product/service being sold with consumer needs via Content Strategy and Call-to-Action?CTA Maps. Give the customer what they want. Make it natural and easy for them to exchange data with you in return for something of perceived value.

Enterprise Information Architecture requires strategy. Correct strategy begins with the end conversion in mind and builds backwards. Your site is inherently content and information heavy. So for you an IA map is more important than the average website.

The Benefits of Enterprise Information Architecture

Let?s start with two basic advantages organizations can get from enterprise-level IA:

1. Since IA deliberately organizes the content flow of a website, it helps users easily perform tasks, such as searching for products by price than by category. By responding immediately to a call-to-action or actionable task, you also quickly move users down the conversion funnel.

2. Enterprise IA can be used to study how people interact with information. Information architects gather evidence on who gets what type of information and from which people or content channels. It also identifies information fails to reach target audience. Information analytics help to continually re-construct and re-define a more efficient conversion path.

Information architecture connects the right information with the right people. Conversion architecture connects the right people with the right product or service. Yours.

You’re No Virgin

Too see enterprise-level Information Architecture in action, visit Richard Branson’s corporate website, Virgin.com. Virgin’s website effortlessly weaves together social media and lead generation goals. Because it serves more as a content and community platform than a conventional corporate website, Virgin.com has a solid navigation and organizational structure. Redbull.com is another great example of IA designed around a community platform.

One noticeable navigation element found at the extreme top of the website is the “global hat,” which packs a lot of feature without the clutter. With it, users can view a variety of Virgin companies operating in their region.

Information Architecture as the Cornerstone of Conversion Architecture

Well-designed information architecture for the enterprise level organization is shockingly rare. Companies, CMOs, CIOs, webmasters, basically everyone that deals with content management systems, should pay attention to the migration from basic IA to Conversion Architecture . It?s part of a broader field, User Experience Design. IA alone does not guarantee website conversion success.

Organizing your content hierarchy to ease UX navigation, capture leads and conversions has a big payoff. Simple changes have resulted in lead conversion increases between 20% and 451%.

Website Conversion Architecture

Design your website for the apex of performance.

Unlike IA, Website Conversion Architecture is not limited to how users interact with web browsers. It steps outside the bounds of organizing and labeling; it deals directly with processes that facilitate higher conversion rate by including both content strategy and Call-to-Action map for guiding customers to a purchase.

Success in the digital realm seems to be closely associated with terms like ?streamlined,? ?centralized,? ?structured,? and ?organized.? These terms hold the key to achieving business goals, from engaging customers in profitable conversations to closing sales.

Want to leverage Website Conversion Architecture? If you’re an enterprise-level Chief Marketing Officer, you and your marketing staff can benefit from it. Along with other specialized fields, Website Conversion Architecture and Enterprise Information Architecture, aim to make the web a more meaningful and useful platform for users.

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