Planning and structuring your web page before writing code helps you stay organized. It makes your design more user-friendly. It also improves your workflow.
Many beginners make the mistake of jumping straight into writing code. They open their text editor and start typing HTML and CSS. But without a clear plan, the final web page can look messy. It may not meet the user’s needs. It may not be easy to manage later.
In this article, you will learn how to plan a web page. You will also learn how to structure it using semantic HTML.
Step 1: Define the Purpose of the Page
Before you think about layout, ask yourself: What is the goal of this page? Examples of page goals:
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Show a product
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Share a blog post
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Collect user contact information
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Display services
When you know the purpose, it becomes easier to decide what content to include.
Step 2: Outline the Main Content Sections
Once the purpose is clear, break the page into parts. These are your content sections. Most web pages follow a simple structure:
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Header: Includes the logo and navigation
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Hero Section: A main image or heading
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About Section: Describes the person, product, or company
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Main Content: Text, images, or videos based on the goal
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Call to Action (CTA): Encourages users to do something
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Footer: Contact info, links, or copyright
You can write this down on paper or in a document. This outline becomes your roadmap.
Step 3: Create a Wireframe
A wireframe is a rough sketch of your web page layout. It shows where each section will go. You do not need to be good at drawing. You can do this with pen and paper or use free tools like Figma, Balsamiq, or Canva.
In your wireframe:
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Draw boxes to represent sections
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Label each section clearly
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Include notes for key content (like “button here” or “image goes here”)
This helps you visualize the layout before writing any code.
Step 4: Choose Semantic HTML Tags
Semantic HTML tags describe the meaning of the content. They help search engines and screen readers understand the page better.
Here are some semantic HTML tags you should use:
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<header>: For the top section of the page -
<nav>: For navigation menus -
<main>: For the main content -
<section>: For grouping related content -
<article>: For blog posts or independent content -
<aside>: For sidebars or tips -
<footer>: For the bottom section of the page
Example structure:
<header>
<nav>
<!– Navigation items –>
</nav>
</header>
<main>
<section>
<h1>Welcome</h1>
<p>This is the hero section.</p>
</section>
<section>
<h2>About Us</h2>
<p>This section tells users about our company.</p>
</section>
<section>
<h2>Services</h2>
<ul>
<li>Service 1</li>
<li>Service 2</li>
</ul>
</section>
</main>
<footer>
<p>Contact info</p>
</footer>
This structure is easy to read and maintain.
Step 5: Keep the Layout Simple
Do not add too many sections or elements. Keep the design clean and clear. Too many buttons, images, or text blocks can confuse the user. Follow a logical order:
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Show what the page is about
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Explain more details
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Guide the user toward a goal (like a button or form)
This simple layout works well for most websites.
Step 6: Plan for Mobile Devices
Most users will visit your site on their phones. Your design should work well on small screens too. In your wireframe and outline:
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Think about how sections will stack vertically
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Make buttons large enough to tap
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Avoid placing text in small fonts
Later, you can use CSS media queries to improve the layout on different screen sizes.
Step 7: Add Content Details
Now fill in the details for each section:
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Write sample text for headings and paragraphs
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Choose what images or icons you want
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Plan what links and buttons will do
Even simple placeholder content can help you stay focused when you start coding.
Conclusion
Planning your web page before writing code is a smart step. It saves time. It prevents mistakes. It makes your code easier to write and maintain. If you follow the steps above, you will build better websites. You will write clean code. You will make pages that are easy to use and easy to update.
