Before we begin creating categories, we need to decide the structure of our tree. The amount of time you spend upfront determining how your category tree will branch will save you ten times that amount of time in the future.

First ask yourself, what is the purpose of my site? Let's say I am making a site about cooking. I may decide my site's purpose is to post recipes. So, I might make the first two categories Recipes and Advice. Then I would determine how to organize my recipes. I decide to make three categories under Recipes: Desserts, Main Course, and Appetizers. Under Advice, I would make the categories Dietetic, Preparation, Appliances, and Utensils. That should be enough to get started. I may decide to add more categories later. For example, under Preparation I may have the categories Poultry, Vegetables, and Beef because I feel each of those deserves a separate area of preparation. Or if I think there won't be enough information under Poultry and Beef, I may combine them under one category: Meat. You aren't chained to the choices you make for categories but it will save you time if you plan beforehand.