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.

In the past few years the default screen size has increased, allowing extra space to be used for higher-quality photographs. With the advent of decreasing screen sizes in tablets and smart phones it begs the question as to whether it will be as important to fill the screen with images. In many cases having too many photographs on a website can keep the user from the top level navigation as well as some important navigational tools below the fold. Experts in web design are cautioning website designers to ensure that their graphics add to the overall message of the site and show real content rather than simply acting as decoration. While web pages can certainly benefit from images and video, the bottom line is that these graphics must add real value to the website.

 Balancing Graphics with Content

Although people enjoy lively graphics on websites, there are instances when too many photographs or videos—or graphics which do not contribute to the overall message of the website—are more of a distraction than a welcome addition. Some of the more negative implications include the additional time it takes to select and image, size it correctly, look at it then publish and the impact that image may have on the design of the page concerning reading and navigation. Designers now must consider the potential impact graphics have on the access when tablets and smart phones are used as well as think about the increased download time.

When Should I Use Graphics?

Overall, using text in content is almost always preferable to filling your pages with images, videos, pictures and Flash simply because it is easier to understand and to remember and is also highly accessible to search engines and human users. There are cases, however, when using graphics is the best use of your space. Use images only when they are absolutely related to your website and your message or when using a picture or other graphic makes understanding the text easier. The most obvious use of graphics is when you are selling something that people need to be able to see or when you are discussing complex structures and a graphical explanation will make it eminently more understandable. Remember when using graphics that everything in your images should be available in text, the image size and quality should depend on what you are selling and all the images should have appropriate alt tags.

Knowing Your Audience

As with your content, the graphics you use on your legal website will be dependent upon who your target audience is. In order to have a successful website you must know who you are “talking” to and how you can best reach them. Knowing your audience includes basic demographics such as median age, education, economic status, where they live, what they do for work and on and on. If you don’t know who you are talking to it is likely you will miss the mark time after time.  Knowing what your audience wants to read takes care of your content, but don’t stop at that—let your knowledge of your readers spill over into every graphic image you place on your website. In the end, knowing your target audience then finding the right balance between the use of content and images on your site will make the difference between a success and a website that simply sits there, accomplishing nothing.