You might notice that when shopping around for a web designer that you get asked to provide the content before the start date. I request content as one of the first things needed from my clients. But why is it necessary when you are still working out your design needs?
Content Gives Clarity
By having your content ready to go, it allows for a better understanding of your business by the designers as they can read over the content. The more your designer understands your business, the better the overall feel of your site will be. It will ring more true to you.
Content Gives Value
By having the content ready to go, it saves you time on having to keep requesting revisions, or even, ending up paying for multiple revisions; making the build valuable for both you and your designer.
Content Gives Positioning
Without knowing how much content you will have on a page, it becomes difficult to balance the positioning of content between text and images. Alignments become clearer when you know how much text there is versus how big an image is.
Content Gives Understanding
What you had in mind for your site may or may not work with the overall design once you actually know what you need on your site. Your designer can let you know earlier on whether it will work the way you want or if something else is needed to make it flow better; instead of the build being almost complete to discover this.
Content Gives Timing
I’ve found that every time I work on a website without content, it becomes a mess of revisions and missed deadlines. Deadlines missed by me, deadlines missed by clients. Each deadline missed means that either work is dropped to the end of the queue; or squeezed in and rushed through if not. Delays in producing content can mean that launch dates are pushed back.
I know that starting out, people aren’t always 100% sure of what they are offering, and tweaks and revisions are needed as they gain more clarity. But, it’s better to focus on getting that area worked out before jumping on board the need for a website! A website is a marketing tool, so knowing what you offer before you get one built allows for the best outcome. It not only allows you to go into your business with a clearer mind, but you end up with better results when it is time to build your website; removing the chance of disappointment.
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