50 Ways to Get Web Site Content From Clients
One of the biggest pains in web design and development projects is getting the content you need. Content is no simple task. It needs to professionally crafted in a fashion that will communicate a meaningful message to visitors. The big problem, though, is that many web design clients just don’t deliver content at all. Or, at least not in a timely manner.
Below is my list of the top 50 tactics I use to assess the need for content, collect the content and communicate with the client about the content. This list has helped me finish more projects on time and develop web sites that not only look good, but deliver a strong message as well.
- Determine content needs before engaging project
- Use a questionnaire to probe client needs
- Review client’s print literature
- Discuss content with client before starting project
- Build an inventory of existing print and web content
- Develop wireframes pinpointing what content is needed where
- Guide the client on how to properly create web content
- Help your client delegate content responsibilities to the right parties involved
- Set your client up in a project management system
- Establish content milestones
- Have the milestones send automatic reminders before the due date
- Tie specific outcomes to the completion of content
- Create an ongoing, online discussion revolving around content
- Show the client examples of other, similar web sites with strong content
- Actually call the client to remind them of content needs
- Develop a sitemap and highlight areas where content is needed
- Develop a web site prototype shell with sample content so clients can visualize what the content will look like
- Help the client schedule specific times to work on content
- Determine whether or not a copywriter is needed before even creating the proposal
- Have a good source of freelance copywriters you can call upon
- Remind clients of the overall goals of the web site
- Check in on the client’s progress
- Brainstorm content ideas with the client
- Help the client think like a web site user
- Break content needs down into manageable chunks
- Setup a meeting solely to go over content
- Nail down the page structure before developing content needs
- Make content development exciting for the client
- Tie SEO benefits in with content development
- Plan for the need of a copywriter even if not budgeted
- Explain the time commitments needed for content to client before beginning project
- Communicate with the client through their medium of choice
- Make content relevant to each stage of the project
- Show the clients results of strong content from other projects
- Keep the client on task
- Have the client voice out what they think should go on specific pages
- Give the client specific, measurable and attainable content goals
- Help the client visualize the end result of their efforts
- Get advice from freelance copywriters in your social networks
- Get advice from other web designers
- Build content outlines so clients can fill in the rest
- Use simple tools such as Excel and Word
- Be realistic about the amount of content needed
- Have the client agree to content milestones you set for them
- Hold the client responsible for missed milestones
- Keep the client motivated
- Help the client see the ROI
- Figure out what it really is the client wants to accomplish
- Use the client’s truly desired end result as a carrot to finish content
- Communicate through multiple mediums about the content
How do you get content from clients?