Monday
Oct272008
Harmonizing Website Content and Design
Monday, October 27, 2008 at 02:03PM
When an Adam Lee Design client approaches us wanting to create a new website for their company, there's one very important component that's often surprisingly neglected: the content. Far too often, the information companies want on their website (the content) is viewed just as something that fills in the exciting, newly designed space.
Here's the problem with that mindset: content should be the driving force—the guts—behind a business website and should be attended to from the start. A website that is attractive, but is empty or has incoherent content will only keep a visitor for a couple of seconds, max. Once your customers see that your site either doesn't have the content they need, or possibly even worse, has poorly written copy it is likely they will leave. If visitors do decide to stay on the site, disorganized content can work against you by leaving the unfortunate impression of unprofessionalism. As with design, it's a good idea to hire a professional. Having someone on your team that is an experienced writer, particularly for the web, will help your website accomplish the goals you've laid out.
A website's content is as important as its design, and in development of an excellent site, the two must work hand-in-hand. For this reason, neither aspect can be ignored during the planning process. The purpose of your site, it's content and the tone your company wants to take with its visitors, all direct the content and design development. Just as the tone of the design affects a visitor's impression of the site, the way content is written can convey your company's culture and way of doing business. Your tone must fit the way you want your business to be perceived by your customers, and reinforce the mission of your company.
The benefits of thoughtful, well-organized content are innumerable, but here three:
1. Search Engine Optimization
Well-written copy places emphasis on keywords, which helps you get noticed by search engines (such as Google), resulting in people that are searching for your services finding your company site.
2. Recognition as an Authority
If your website contains articles or other informational content, your customers will start to view you as an up-to-date, well-informed authority. This puts you well on your way to gaining new and repeat business.
3. Saves Time
If you get a lot of the same questions directed at your business, you should consider answering those questions on your website. Doing this won't stop all of the phone calls, but it will definitely stop some. There are a lot of people who prefer finding their answers online rather than making a phone call anyway, and finding their answer there shows them your ability to anticipate their needs not a bad thing.
As you're developing your website, make sure you put appropriate thought into the content. Hiring a writer that is familiar with writing copy for the web can go a long way in making your website a success.
Here's the problem with that mindset: content should be the driving force—the guts—behind a business website and should be attended to from the start. A website that is attractive, but is empty or has incoherent content will only keep a visitor for a couple of seconds, max. Once your customers see that your site either doesn't have the content they need, or possibly even worse, has poorly written copy it is likely they will leave. If visitors do decide to stay on the site, disorganized content can work against you by leaving the unfortunate impression of unprofessionalism. As with design, it's a good idea to hire a professional. Having someone on your team that is an experienced writer, particularly for the web, will help your website accomplish the goals you've laid out.
A website's content is as important as its design, and in development of an excellent site, the two must work hand-in-hand. For this reason, neither aspect can be ignored during the planning process. The purpose of your site, it's content and the tone your company wants to take with its visitors, all direct the content and design development. Just as the tone of the design affects a visitor's impression of the site, the way content is written can convey your company's culture and way of doing business. Your tone must fit the way you want your business to be perceived by your customers, and reinforce the mission of your company.
The benefits of thoughtful, well-organized content are innumerable, but here three:
1. Search Engine Optimization
Well-written copy places emphasis on keywords, which helps you get noticed by search engines (such as Google), resulting in people that are searching for your services finding your company site.
2. Recognition as an Authority
If your website contains articles or other informational content, your customers will start to view you as an up-to-date, well-informed authority. This puts you well on your way to gaining new and repeat business.
3. Saves Time
If you get a lot of the same questions directed at your business, you should consider answering those questions on your website. Doing this won't stop all of the phone calls, but it will definitely stop some. There are a lot of people who prefer finding their answers online rather than making a phone call anyway, and finding their answer there shows them your ability to anticipate their needs not a bad thing.
As you're developing your website, make sure you put appropriate thought into the content. Hiring a writer that is familiar with writing copy for the web can go a long way in making your website a success.
Reader Comments (1)
This rings true. As a content creator myself, I've found an intrinsic relationship between Web site design and content. And by instrinsic I mean something essential but not automatic. It takes work--specifically teamwork--to make sure both aspects of a site, the content and design, compliment each other in tone and culture. So, if you've got a well-oiled designer/writer relationship, and if your copy is correct, helpful, style-consistent, and well written, you've probably got harmony in the bag.
Some factors I keep in mind when writing for the Web:
1) Keep the text short. Bite-sized paragraphs of a couple concise sentences are more Internet-reader friendly than long blocks of text that require a reader to scroll and scroll.
2) Try bullets and bolding to make important info stand out; from Q&A lists to tips to links, make it easier for readers to scan for the important stuff--admit it, we all do this!
3) Be a blog junkie for a day, or search other business Web sites for examples you admire. Clear, punchy, journalistic, flowy, be inspired by the variety of copy out there.
Happy writing.