Site Structure. Which is better?

[brianflannery]

Ideally, which model is better for site structure:

1. Homepage -> Categories -> Individual Pages (See example here http://www.wordtracker.com/attachments/bead-site-structure.gif)

OR

2. Homepage -> Categories -> Sub-categories -> Indicidual Pages

In the 2nd model, are the individual pages too far away from the homepage?

[GPainter]

Well there is the old "three click rule" which is meant to mean a user can get what they want in three clicks or less, but its not always that easier. What makes it easier from a user point of view because that's what you want to achieve can a user find what they want to get easy? No point in having one category if it has one hundred options on a page and is a bit confusing etc.

So it really depends on preference and how much data/products your planning on having on your site etc.

[MattAntonino]

Ideally, the closer you are to the homepage the better.  However - most of Amazon's products sit 
Homepage > Thing Being Sold > Category > Subcategory > Product

So I don't think it can really hurt that much - they seem to do ok with it.  But yes, closer is better in general.  Shorten the checkout cycle, though, and people may not care as much.