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Copy before Design?

Today I met with someone who is commissioning a brand new website for their established business.  Not unusual.  They are getting the copy written first so that the content drives the design of the site.  This is unusual.

In over a decade as a professional copywriter, I can count on one hand the number of clients who have been brave enough to break the mould and let the copy lead the way for their website.  Why is this the minority path when the mantra of “content is king” is sung from the hymn-sheet of every digital agency in the country? I argue that copy first should become best practice. No more Lorem ipsum, give the words the weight they deserve.

From experience
A couple of years ago I tried to argue this case with a client who was building a new website.  They had an established brand voice, and a very clear product message so to me it made sense to ensure that this was given appropriate gravitas.  However, she vehemently disagreed, asserting that choosing the words first was like choosing a sofa before you know what your new living room will look like.  At this point in the proceedings, I may have lost my cool…

The copy of your website is not furniture, it’s not there for decoration.  If your website is a house in this metaphor, the copy is the homeowner.  No matter how beautiful the house is, it’s the way you’re treated by the person in it that will make you come back – and next time you might stay even longer to hear what they have to say.

The majority of my work, however, follows a different route.  You have a new website and now you need something to replace all the Latin words.  After spending some time together, establishing the website’s purpose and learning about your brand identity, a good copywriter can get those spaces filled with content that will turn your aesthetically pleasing new site into one that converts.  When copywriters despair is when you have a new site, but don’t know why.  You’ve been so busy pushing pixels to get the perfect layout and ideal stock imagery that you haven’t stopped to think what you want the website to achieve, or even who the people are that you’re trying to reach with it.

So what are the benefits of speaking to an SEO copywriter before a designer?
1. During an initial interview we can help you establish the goals and market for your website
2. We can plan the pages and their purposes to give the design a clearer direction
3. By providing a designer with a clear tone of voice and message to work from, you can get a site that gels together and converts successfully
4. By carrying out competitor and keyword research as the first step in building s new website, the entire project can be optimised for the search engines, rather than SEO being completed last as an after thought.

Collaborate early and often
You can have the most eloquent article in the world, but if it’s written on an MS-Frontpage-looking-offence-to-the-eyes website, it won’t convert.  Designers, developers and writers need to collaborate early and often – no part of the website should be an after thought.

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