I design websites with the mindset of changing requirements over time. So the website must be created decoupled and scaleable. Start with the URLs. URL-rules

I design websites with the mindset of changing requirements over time. So the website must be created decoupled and scaleable. Start with the URLs. URL-rules URL-Rule 1: unique (1 URL == 1 resource, 1 resource == 1 URL) URL-Rule 2: permanent (they do not change, no dependencies to anything) URL-Rule 3: manageable (equals measurable, 1 logic per site section, no complicated exceptions, no exceptions) URL-Rule 4: easily scalable logic URL-Rule 5: short URL-Rule 6: with a variation (partial) of the targeted phrase URL-Rule 1 is more important than 1 to 6 combined, URL-Rule 2 is more important than 2 to 6 combines, … URL-Rule 5 and 6 are a trade-of. 6 is the least important. The most important part in this context is rule nr 2. permanente, no dependencies with anything. no dependencies with the navigation, not with categorisation, not with the content the URL hosts, if not 100% within the organisations control. So basically you end up with something like https://www.example.com/%short-one-letter-namespace%/%unique-slug% https://www.example.com/%short-one-letter-namespace%/%unique... - or - if you want to keep future market and language expansion in mind https://www.example.com/%market-language-namespace%/%short-namespace%/%unique-slug% https://www.example.com/%market-language-namespace%/%short-n... The URLs must be also decoupled from the CMS or any technology choice underneath. The next things is "don't do redirects". Redirects are only done when there is systematic change of the website (relaunch), but not a daily business tool. Interlinking only to canonical URLs. No parameters. Each (Web)Application (that mostly interacts with user input) gets its own subdomain. i.e.: checkout.example.com, map.example.com Throw away things that you do not need any longer. Cleaning up is an ongoing process of a website, similar to creating things. Responsibility, 1 person is responsible for the whole website. 1 person is responsible for each section of the website. If a section of the website has nobody who is responsible any more, somebody must be found or the section will be deleted. Just a few of the rules I put in place. It's a mixture of decoupling and responsibilities. Change is inevitable - and manageable.