Providing Site Maps

Is it that much beneficial

[EstoreSeeker]

I have thought about it for a long time and now seeking your views too. I wanted to know that what is the extent of benefits of a site map. Does it really help that much?
And lastly but most importantly does its high usage indicates something?

[ken_b]

The benefits are that a site map can help the spiders and your visitors more easily find what they are looking for.

In my opinion, the downside is that the need for a site map sometimes (often?) points out a flaw in your general navigation system that leads visitors and spiders to look for an easier way to find what they are looking for.

Maybe that's a benefit too, because it alerts you to something that might be very profitable if fixed.

[webtress]

To benefit from the use of a sitemap you really need to have a link pointing to it from all pages. For both SE's and customers. I've noticed some manufacturers will include pages to specs in their sitemap but not as part of the main navigation.

And lastly but most importantly does its high usage indicates something?

That depends on where the traffic is comming from, could be your visitors use it because they can't navigate the site, could be search engines spidering the links.

[Corey Bryant]

That is sometimes the second page I try to turn to if the navigation on a webpage is not all that great actually

-Corey

[hannamyluv]

Outside the realm of spiders...

A site map can also provide a handicap accessible way for someone to surf your site. The best traditional site architecture & navigation in the world can give a blind browser touble. A site map is an easy answer to this.

While you are not required to have a handicap accessible site (unless you are a government sponsered agency in certain countries), a few sites are in the process of being sued for not being handicap accessible so I imagine that the whole thing will come to the forefront eventually.

Always better to be ahead of the game rather than behind it. ;)

[EstoreSeeker]

As corey said that site map comes as a second priority to him.
If the navigation part is excellent, then would the site map still be required just to show your visitors that you have one.
secondly..i know many people who ignore it completely as they see no direct relation of it to the cutomers' feedback for the site. but i'm hearing many other views for some time now..which say that site maps actually help in many other ways too ...besides its real purpose.