Make a list of all the ideas you come up with. If necessary, categorize by audience. Check that these ideas are consistent with the goals of the site; throw out any that aren't.

Next, organize these elements into a logical structure. Use whatever means you are comfortable with, perhaps a flowchart, a mind map diagram, or a collection of index cards you can shuffle around on a table and divide into piles representing sections of the site.

Visualize your site using a metaphor. For example, if you sell groceries, a supermarket is an obvious organizational model.

Involve people from different parts of your organization in this process. They'll bring valuable perspectives you might otherwise overlook.

Once you're happy with the structure, draw up a formal site plan and get everyone involved to agree on it.

This document will determine the basic navigational structure used for every page on the site. You or your designer can use it to make a list of all the pages that need to be created and the elements they must include. Later, this list will allocate tasks and direct development.

The major navigation elements of the Web site should now be obvious. For example, you've probably identified which sections of the site should be accessible from every page.

If the site is quite small, this might be all the navigation you need. If you have a deep, multilayered structure, you'll probably want to add a submenu of items for each section to avoid cluttering every page with a confusing mass of options.

A well-defined Web site structure means you know from the outset the scope of the project. It makes designing consistent page layouts and templates a much easier task.

In the long run, it will simplify maintenance and site updates, so you can keep content fresh and add new features in response to customer demand without busting your budget. The results are more and happier customers, and a boost to your bottom line.