5 top tips for effective signposting on digital platforms
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An engaging user experience enables someone to find the right information, at the right time, and to digest that information easily. That's what information architecture is all about. Whether you're building a self-service portal for tenants or an intranet for NHS staff, creating a platform that encourages meaningful engagement means thinking carefully about your users' needs.
Effective signposting plays a key role in making digital content more usable, accessible, and valuable — it's the difference between frustration and flow. Clear signposting helps guide people through your platform in a logical and intuitive way. It supports self-service, increases trust in your organisation, and can significantly boost engagement metrics.
But what does good signposting look like in practice?
The benefits of effective signposting
Before diving into the 'how', it's worth looking at the 'why'. Strong signposting delivers measurable benefits:
- Higher click-through rates on calls to action (CTAs), driving users to take meaningful steps such as reporting repairs or accessing wellbeing resources.
- Improved self-service, reducing the number of phone calls and email queries your team needs to handle.
- Stronger brand reputation, because people feel your service is easy to use, supportive, and designed with them in mind.
- Better content engagement, with users spending more time exploring what's available.
- Increased return on investment, as your platform works harder to support your goals and your users' needs.
So how do you get there? Here are our top five tips to help improve your signposting strategy and strengthen your information architecture.
1. No more than three clicks to a CTA
People expect speed and simplicity when navigating a website, portal or intranet. A commonly used principle in UX design is the “three-click rule”. This means users should be able to reach key content or complete an important task — such as booking an appointment or updating details — within three clicks.
Why does this matter? Every extra click is a chance for someone to get lost, frustrated, or drop off entirely. Keep user journeys short and focused by:
- Prioritising important CTAs on your homepage and main navigation.
- Using internal links to direct people to related content.
- Regularly reviewing how many steps it takes to complete common actions.
This simple approach can dramatically improve conversion rates and reduce bounce rates.
2. Use a clear content hierarchy (H1, H2, H3…)
Structure matters. A well-ordered content hierarchy helps people understand what's important and how to navigate a page quickly. Using HTML heading tags (H1, H2, H3, etc.) not only supports visual clarity, but also improves accessibility and SEO. Here's how to get it right:
- H1 should be the main title of the page - clear, concise and describing the content.
- H2s break the content into key sections. They act like chapter headings.
- H3s are used for sub-sections within each H2.
Avoid skipping heading levels or using them out of order - this can confuse screen readers and make your content harder to follow. Clear headings also help scanners — people who skim rather than read — find the information they need more quickly.
3. Conduct user journey mapping
You can't create good signposting without understanding the people using your platform. User journey mapping helps you identify the paths people take, their needs at each step, and any pain points they encounter along the way. In social housing, a resident might want to:
- Report a repair
- View their rent statement
- Find support with financial wellbeing
In the NHS, a staff member might be looking to:
- Access rota information
- Request leave
- Read the latest Trust updates
By mapping out these journeys and identifying key touchpoints, you can design your content and navigation around real needs, rather than assumptions. User research and feedback loops are essential to get this right — your users are the experts in their own experiences.
4. Use content pillars and audit what you've got
It's easy for digital platforms to become cluttered over time. A regular content audit helps you understand what's there, what's outdated, and how content can be better grouped. Introduce content pillars - broad topics or themes - and make sure every page or resource sits under one. For example:
- Repairs & Maintenance
- My Account
- Support & Advice
Once you've grouped content into themes, link related pages together and highlight popular or urgent content. This approach creates a consistent and logical experience, helping users make sense of complex information.
5. Think accessibility first
Accessibility should never be an afterthought. Around 1 in 5 people in the UK have a disability, and many more have varying levels of digital confidence. Making your content accessible means more people can use it effectively.
Here are some simple ways to improve accessibility:
- Use large, clearly labelled buttons that are easy to click or tap.
- Ensure menus are intuitive, keyboard-navigable, and don't rely on hover actions alone.
- Add alt text to all images, so screen reader users get the same context.
- Use plain language wherever possible — aim for clarity over complexity.
Accessible design isn't just about compliance; it's about respect, inclusion, and creating content that works for everyone.
The right content, in the right place, at the right time
Surfacing the right content, at the right time, in a format that can be understood is critical to digital engagement. When users can find what they need easily, they're more likely to return, recommend the platform, and trust the organisation behind it.
Signposting may seem like a small part of your digital toolkit, but it has a big impact. From reducing service pressure to increasing platform ROI, it's a smart investment.
To understand how your organisation could enhance the information architecture of it's digital platforms and put the user at the heart of their own experiences, get in touch with the VerseOne Team today.