Writing website content is an important step in creating a successful website. Providing clear and detailed instructions to your website designer will ensure that your vision and message are effectively conveyed. Here's a step-by-step guide to help you write website content for your designer…
Understand Your Audience
Before you start writing, identify your target audience. Determine their needs, interests, and pain points. Tailor your content to resonate with this specific audience.
Define Website Goals
Outline the purpose of your website. What do you want to achieve with it? Whether it's generating leads, providing information, or selling products, having clear goals will influence the content.
Create an Outline
Organise your content into logical sections. Common website sections include:
Home
About Us
Services/Products – Usually with an overview page of all service / products and an individual page for each service and product.
Blog
Contact
Each section should have a clear purpose.
Write a Compelling Home Page
The home page is critical as it's the first impression visitors get. It should be engaging, concise, and provide a clear call-to-action (CTA). Explain what your website offers and why visitors should stay.
Typically a homepage will have content like:
A big 'hero' statement / headline
A subheadline
Primary call to action
Introduction paragraph
USP panel
Service/ product overview
Portfolio/ projects / recent work
About overview
Testimonials
Blog / News section overview
Call to action
Footer
About Us
Introduce your company, brand, or yourself. Highlight your mission, values, and unique selling points. Make it relatable and show credibility.
Products/Services
If applicable, describe your offerings in detail. Use persuasive language to showcase their benefits and how they address your audience's needs.
Contact Information
Include a dedicated contact page or section. Provide multiple contact options like email, phone, and a physical address if relevant.
Blog/News Section
If you plan to have a blog or update your website regularly, outline topics or categories you want to cover. This showcases your expertise and keeps visitors coming back.
SEO Considerations
Incorporate relevant keywords in your content to improve search engine visibility. However, ensure that it reads naturally and doesn't feel forced.
Visual Content
Mention if you plan to include images, videos, infographics, etc. Describe the type and style of visuals you prefer to support the written content.
Formatting and Style Guidelines
Provide instructions on the writing style, tone, and formatting preferences. Specify headings, subheadings, bullet points, and any other formatting elements.
Mobile-Friendly Content
Emphasize the importance of mobile-friendly content. Most websites now receive a significant portion of their traffic from mobile devices.
Clear Branding Guidelines
If you have established branding elements, provide guidelines for incorporating them into the design and content.
Call-to-Action (CTA): Be clear about the CTAs (buttons) you want to include throughout the website. These are essential for guiding visitors towards the desired actions.
Timeline and Revision Process
Set clear expectations about the timeline for content delivery and how revisions will be handled.
Proofreading and Editing
Before handing over the content to the designer, thoroughly proofread and edit it to ensure accuracy and professionalism.
SEO Meta Information
If you have specific meta titles and descriptions for each page, provide them to the designer to optimise on-page SEO.
Legal and Privacy Considerations
If your website requires legal disclaimers or privacy policies, provide the necessary content or resources for the designer to include them.
Review and Collaborate
Work closely with your website designer to ensure the content is well-integrated into the design. Collaborate and provide feedback as needed.
Test Before Launch
Before the website goes live, test all the content to ensure it appears correctly and is functional across different devices and browsers.
By following these steps, you'll be able to provide your website designer with clear and comprehensive content guidelines that align with your goals and vision for the website.