Content is King
Content, Content, Content!
Sounds obvious doesn’t it? Content makes up the bulk of a website and practically all of its value. Content is what sells a product or service. Yet many websites have little substance. They’re boring, dry, lacking the will to keep us awake, let alone inspire us.
That has to change, and your web design project must reflect this.
Future of Web Design
Last year Base Creative started placing a big focus on responsive website design - meaning websites reshape to better fit the device they’re viewed on (mobiles, tablets, desktops etc).
I’ll be attending the Future of Web Design (FOWD) 2011 conference next week and I expect to hear a lot more about responsive design, but I wouldn’t be surprised is “content” is the recurring underlying theme. Content is king after all. When we’re designing a website we’re designing for content.
Here are five aspects of content that all web design projects should revolve around:
- Focus - As the web design industry matures rapidly we can no longer get away with generic, one-size-fits-all content templates. If we design a website as an empty shell we can’t expect it to be successful. Focus on content starts from day one.
- Depth - It’s 2011! Write the content yourself and it looks amateur. A professional copywriter should be involved in everything from headlines, introductions, articles and microcopy. Professional photography is mandatory. Video is rewriting the rules of user behaviour; something to keep a strong eye on. Above all content should be interesting and engaging.
- Hierarchy - While consistent aesthetic choices can be made (like the colour of a button), the layout and structure of content needs to prioritise the design process. If a website is to respond to different devices we must be able to identify the importance of all content and re-flow it based on a hierarchy of importance. Not all content is equal.
- Structure - Sitemaps are a great way to start thinking about content structure but the idea of “pages” is archaic. Modern websites re-used content, aggregating relevant pieces where necessary, e.g. related news, related products, author biographies and user generated content like reviews and ratings. Websites are interactive by nature thus content has no particular place but rather it appears where needed.
- Goals - Content drives users towards a certain goal such as buying a product or being persuaded by a campaign. The focus, depth, hierarchy, and structure of content all influence the website user towards these actions. We can take advantage of modern HTML and CSS standards to creating striking visuals and rich interactive experiences, but only if we know what we’re trying to achieve and have the content to support this.
A Better Website
The earlier we consider and design for content the better a website will be - it’s that simple! Copywriters and photographers should not be filling in empty boxes. Design exists to support and emphasise content.
Of course, some areas like news & blogs will require an empty shell to be completed later, but with those areas we understand the content, its context and the metadata required. Similarly, when a website provides a lot of functionality a technical spec is needed. Designers can use this spec (and their knowledge of usability) to create the user interface. At this point there will be a lot of microcopy needed.
A great website is made by great content, there is nothing more important.
Keyboard photo by Alessandro Reginato used under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.