The process of defining every piece of content needed on every page of the website before design and development begins — specifying what text, images, videos, documents and other assets each page requires, and who is responsible for producing each content element.
Website layout is designed around content. If the content hasn’t been planned, the design is built around placeholder text that doesn’t reflect the real content’s length, structure or hierarchy. When real content is later substituted, layouts break and design must be revised.
A document specifying the purpose of the page, the primary audience it serves, the target keyword (for SEO), the key messages to communicate, the required sections, any mandatory content (legal, compliance, specific data) and the call to action.
Content not being ready when development requires it. Website content is often underestimated as a workload — particularly copy and photography — and is left too late in the project plan. Late content delivery is the leading cause of website launch delays.
Typically the client, unless the project scope includes copywriting. Technical developers build the framework; clients must supply or commission the copy, photography and other assets that go within it. Content responsibilities should be explicitly agreed in the project scope.
Migration involves moving existing content from the current site to the new one — typically with quality review, editing and SEO optimisation during the transfer. New content creation involves producing copy, images and other assets that don’t currently exist, typically requiring more time and resource.
Through a content matrix — a document listing every page, the content required for each, the responsible owner and the deadline. A single named content manager should chase and review all contributions before they enter the development workflow.
A review of all content on the existing website — categorising each piece as keep (migrate), update (revise before migrating), create new (replace) or delete (do not migrate). A content audit ensures only relevant, quality content is carried into the new site.
The dimensions required for each image placement, the minimum resolution (300dpi for print, 72dpi for screen at double resolution for retina), the content or subject required and any brand or style guidelines for photography. Sourcing images is often underestimated in content planning.
By building multilingual content requirements into the project scope from the start, defining translation workflow and responsibility, selecting a CMS that supports multilingual content management and planning the additional time and resource required for each language version.
