How to Structure your Pages for a Directory - Learning in Public day 7

Alright, so here's the thing - I'm one week into this 60-day challenge of building a travel directory for Bali, and honestly? I'm getting a bit antsy with all this planning stuff. Don't get me wrong, I know it's important, but I just want to start building already!

Quick summary

Day 7 was all about creating the page structure and templates for my travel directory. I used Claude AI to help map out category pages, single listing pages, and all the filters we'd need. While the planning phase isn't my favorite, getting this foundation right will save me tons of headaches later when I actually start coding.

Why I'm sharing this planning process

Living here in Bali, I've realized how many travel websites just feel... generic. They're missing that personal touch. So I'm building something different - a directory where my partner Grace and I actually visit these places and share our real experiences.

But before I can build anything, I need to figure out exactly what goes where. And honestly, this is the part of development I like least. I'm way more excited about the actual coding.

The challenge I was facing

So we've got our URL structure mapped out, we've done competitor research, figured out keywords, and defined our categories (stays, dining, wellness, beach clubs, activities, and guides). But now I needed to answer the big question: what actual data and content goes on each page?

You know what's tricky about this? I want it to feel personal - like when you ask a friend for restaurant recommendations - but it also needs to work for SEO and be scalable.

What I tried first (using Claude AI for structure)

I fired up Claude and basically dumped my brain into it. I told it: "Look, we need category pages for each main section, single review pages for individual places, and I want this to feel like Booking.com but with a personal twist."

Here's what Claude came back with for the category pages:

Archive page structure that actually makes sense

For something like "Best hotels in Ubud," Claude suggested:

Dynamic H1 headers (like "Luxury hotels in Ubud" or "Beach villas in Seminyak")
A tagline showing how many places we've personally reviewed
Search and filter functionality
A map toggle (which I actually love - my partner and I were just talking about how useful this would be)

The filters it suggested were pretty solid:

For stays: Price, amenities, view type, room type, and here's where I want to add something different - travel group filters like "gay-friendly," "family-friendly," or "good for singles"
For dining: Price range, cuisine type, dining features, meal type
For beach clubs: Entry fee, features, music style
For wellness: Treatment types, facility features, price range

The breakthrough moment with single listing pages

Initially, Claude suggested a tab format for individual listings - you know, separate tabs for rooms, amenities, location, reviews. But I wasn't feeling it.

Then I realized: Airbnb doesn't use tabs. They just create one flowing page that tells a story. That's what I want.

So I asked Claude to restructure it more like:

Hero section with one main image
Our personal experience section (this is key - most travel sites don't have this)
Photo grid and video tour
Key features and pricing
All the practical stuff below

Here's how I'm actually structuring the pages

Category pages (like "Best restaurants in Canggu")

The layout I'm going for:

Hero section with search bar
Subcategory cards - so on the main "Stays" page, you'd see cards for Hotels, Villas, Resorts, Glamping
Featured listings (maybe paid promotions later)
All listings with filters on the sidebar
SEO content block at the bottom with area information

Single listing pages (individual reviews)

This is where the personal touch really comes in:

Hero with key stats and a "Visited by us" badge
Our experience section - when we visited, what we loved, honest recommendations
Photo grid and video tour (I want to create short videos for each place)
Key features and practical info
Booking section
FAQ section (I'm thinking of interviewing staff to get real answers)

The stuff that's still challenging me

Look, I'm not a designer. At all. So after mapping out the structure, I spent some time on Dribbble looking for inspiration.

I don't want it to look corporate like Booking. It needs personality. I found some color palettes I liked - nothing too orange-y (I just don't like orange for travel sites, don't ask me why).

The tricky part is balancing that personal, authentic feel with something that actually converts and ranks well in search engines.

What I'm working on next

Tomorrow I'm diving into the design part using v0 (it's a tool that creates components) and Cursor. My plan is literally to show v0 some design inspiration and say "hey, make this but for a travel directory."

Then we're setting up the actual development environment and I can finally start building this thing.

Lessons I'm taking from this planning phase

Structure first, design second: Even though I hate planning, having this mapped out will make development so much smoother
Personal touch is everything: The "visited by us" badge and personal experience sections are what will set this apart
Don't overthink the filters: Start with basics, add more based on user feedback
Video content matters: Every listing should have a short video tour

Why I'm actually excited about this approach

You know what's cool about this structure? When someone searches for "best beach clubs in Seminyak," they won't just get a list. They'll get our actual experience - when we went, what the vibe was like, whether it's worth the entry fee.

That's the kind of travel advice I wish I had when I first moved to Bali.

Final thoughts

Honestly, I'm ready to stop planning and start coding. But getting this page structure right means I won't be scrambling later trying to figure out where everything goes.

If you're building any kind of directory or review site, spend the time upfront mapping out your data structure and page layouts. Your future self will thank you.

Oh, and if you're following along with this 60-day challenge - thanks for sticking with the boring planning episodes. The fun coding stuff starts tomorrow, I promise.