Website development companies have long struggled with the challenge of getting website content from clients in a timely manner. This causes a variety of problems for web development and programming companies including mismatched expectations, extended project timelines, excessive client communication, delayed project payment timelines, and in some cases unhappy clients. In some cases this can also lead to websites that are ineffective because although the design is functional, the content fails to compel the site visitor to take. During this presentation we will explore a variety of tools, best practices, and strategies that website development agencies can test and implement to help overcome this challenge.
Starting off on the right foot:
1. Contract consideration – Setting clear expectations
a. Set deadlines early to catch red flags and set expectations
2. Developing Content Branding Guidelines – Making sure everyone is on the same page
3. Building Content Development Timelines – How long dues content really take?
4. Starting with a Strategic Website Architecture – The right foundation
Content development tricks and tools covered will include:
1. Transcribing video interviews
2. Ghostwriting from recorded interviews
3. Leveraging freelance writers
4. Staffing content writing
5. Partnering with copywriting and content marketing agencies
Best practices and strategies covered will include:
• Balancing design, conversion and optimization
• Evaluating internal writing talent
• Creating timelines so that if the content is behind schedule you will know quickly
• Use content types to establish templates for design
• Designing for content – An SEO dream come true
• Designing for content extensibility – Making room for sub-pages, read more, and other optimization extensions after the site launch
Experience Level: This presentation will be helpful for owners, sales team members, project managers, and other support team members at websites development agencies, firms and teams responsible for building web projects. The technical level of this presentation will be low.
Takeaways:
- This will have more than 3 takeaways but the big three would be around setting realistic content timelines, strategies for getting content from clients, and ideas for ensuring that content is consistent and on brand across websites.