The design is approved.
The pages are built.
Then someone starts asking, “What are we actually going to say?”
By that point, many important decisions have already been made.
That’s backwards.
Content shapes the experience
The words on a website aren’t simply something that fills the spaces created by a designer.
Content helps determine what those spaces should be.
A service page might need to explain a complex process.
A homepage might need to communicate several different value propositions.
A customer might need detailed information before they’re comfortable making an enquiry.
These requirements influence page structure, navigation, hierarchy and calls to action.
Designing first and filling in the content later can mean designing around assumptions.
Placeholder content creates placeholder decisions
Lorem ipsum is useful for testing layouts.
It’s not particularly useful for understanding whether a website works.
A headline that’s three words long creates a very different layout from one that’s twelve words long.
A short service description requires different treatment from a detailed explanation.
A navigation structure based on placeholder content may need to be completely reconsidered once the real content arrives.
The closer the content is to reality, the better the design decisions become.
Content also clarifies what the business is trying to say
Writing website content forces businesses to make decisions.
What do we actually offer?
Who is it for?
What makes us different?
Why should someone choose us?
What questions do customers have?
Those conversations are valuable long before a designer starts working.
They often uncover gaps in positioning, confusing terminology or services that have evolved beyond what the current website communicates.
Good content and good design work together
This doesn’t mean every word needs to be final before design begins.
Digital projects are collaborative and content will naturally evolve.
The important thing is that content strategy, information architecture, UX and design develop together.
Design gives content structure.
Content gives design purpose.
Neither works particularly well in isolation.
It also makes the website easier to manage
When content has been properly planned, the website becomes easier to maintain after launch.
Teams know what belongs where.
Pages have clear purposes.
Content can be updated without disrupting the overall experience.
The website becomes a system rather than a collection of pages.
If you’re planning a new website, don’t wait until the design is finished to think about content.
Start by mapping what your customers need to know, what the business needs to communicate and what actions you want people to take. The design will be much stronger as a result.
