Many companies can get so caught up with trendy web designs that the content can go by the wayside, and in the beginning, when websites are being designed, the content is a faraway concept, not a part of the design in any way. Experts now believe that the fastest way your website will fail as a sales tool is having the website design created without thinking about the copy or having the copy created without a thought to the website design. If you are just beginning to engage in talks about a website for your law firm, or if you are thinking about a major overhaul, having the design team and the content team communicate can be crucial to the site’s success. Think about a magazine you pick up from the rack at the supermarket. Sure you may first be attracted by the photographs on the glossy cover, but imagine you opened that magazine and there was nothing inside but blank pages? The message here is that while a magazine might captivate you with the design, it will keep your attention through the content. Content communicates a message, idea, story or solution, and websites are no exception.
Communication Between Design and Content
What seems to be causing uncertainty in the website development process is where content development fits into the overall picture. Unfortunately, in too many cases, content ends up as an afterthought. More and more web designers are pushing for content to be written during the design phase under the belief that without meaningful content it is impossible to deliver a meaningful design. Others still hold with the theory that placeholder text works just fine and that the real content is not required at this stage. While every project is unique and may have budget or time constraints which prevent content from being developed until the end, in a perfect world content should be developed from the beginning of a projects in order to understand how the content will relate to the overall message, story or solution you are attempting to communicate.
Creating a Content Matrix
A content matrix spreadsheet can make the process of developing content much more organized while holding the appropriate person accountable for the content which must be developed. Content matrixes can also facilitate communication between the website designer and the content writer ensuring content and design are working together for the greater good of the entire website. You will want to prioritize and build a hierarchy on the content matrix by listing live, pending and developing content. The content matrix will also include page titles and URLs, tags and keywords, status of images to be used, creator of the content, description of the content, links form the content, maintenance information for updating the content and anything else you think of which will help your content and design work together.
Without content even the most beautifully designed website is little more than decoration, yet the content can only be truly meaningful when it works together with the design. While the design of a website captures our attention and provides a visually stimulating experience, the content will keep us at the website, engaging our attention and leaving us wanting more.
