Great web design never just happens by accident rather it’s the result of skill, talent, perseverance and process which accurately answers the questions regarding your site’s intended user. It conveys a specific voice, perspective and point of view which you have likely researched endlessly in order to achieve. You have a specific strategy and you have labored over every single detail, yet when all is said and done, you realize that your content has taken an unfortunately backseat to the design elements—a fact which is hurting your overall site and lowering your rate of conversion. For many, when they are finally at the end of the design phase, there is simply little creativity left over to devote to the content of the pages resulting in content that simply doesn’t work with the overall design of your website.
How to Make Your Content Mesh with the Design
Even if you’ve written content that fits the overall theme of your site, does it actually fit into the site? In some cases even though the written words fit physically, they fail to ring true for the intended users. What this means is that along with a design theme for your pages, you also need a copy “voice,” which meshes with that theme. The best way to ensure your voice matches your design is to ask yourself a few key questions. Who are your targeted visitors? What do you think those visitors most want to know, to do, to have answered? How do you want to make your users feel, and how will you persuade them to identify with your particular website to the point they will become a client? Attorneys talk to people every single day—this is, after all, your passion and how you make your living. When taking an objective look at your site’s content, pretend you are having a conversation with a client who just walked into your office. Are you achieving the same results with your written words?
Does Content Precede Design?
Some believe that content should actually come before design and that design minus the content is simply decoration. The underlying message is that quite often web designers create their magic without a single clue of what content will be added to the pages. Unfortunately, simply slapping some hastily-written words into a pre-existing design can cause your site to take a significant negative hit. The design should always reinforce the message, so if you are unclear about your message, then how can the perfect design for your business be created? Web designers should be aware of the potential length, tone, style and structure of the copy to come and should ideally create the surrounding visual elements to support this content, creating an experience which works together for the benefit of the user.
What Your Web Designer Must Know
The designer of your site must be aware of the number of navigational areas which will exist on each page of the website as well as any particular themes in the content which could potentially be extended into the visual design. Any requirement for content such as testimonials, definitions or explanations should be conveyed to the web designer as well as the average page length of the content which will be displayed. Particularly for smaller sites, it may not seem viable to consider content ahead of design, however when content becomes as important as design, it is a sure bet the user will have a more positive experience. When design flows with content to the point it is virtually seamless then success has truly been achieved.
