The habit is easy to fall into. I find myself from time to time thinking of text as just an expandable block element I need to account for in my design. And truthfully for the role I as a designer and programmer play in the birth of a web site, maybe that’s all the thought I need to give it. But the fact is that content and design are both critical to the long term success of a web site. Where does the text on the finished site come from?

Did the client decide to leave the dummy text that I thoughtlessly spit out during the design process as a placeholder? Did the client rewrite everything? Do I even care? Maybe it’s an ego thing, but I want the sites I create to be useful and effective for my clients. Since content plays such a big role in determining that sucess, I do care.

With that in mind, I asked Theresia Whitfield of Fletcher Communications what words of wisdom she would share with web designers on the idea of web content. The rest of this post is her response:

I must admit that I was tickled to be invited to share some thoughts with you on this blog. Just to show you that I’m well-suited to provide you with this insight, I thought I’d review a bit of my background.

I have worked as a journalist for 10 years; four of which were spent as a freelance producer/correspondent in Washington, DC at such news organizations as CNN, Reuters Television, CBN News, among others. After witnessing the attacks on our nation of 9/11 from up-close and personal (it’s a long story!), I decided a different kind of writing was in order, and it no longer involved TV news.

I relocated to Indianapolis nearly five years ago to cover the auto racing circuit and then started my own business in January 2006. I continue to write about my favorite sport but, along the way, I began to understand that what we say – and the way we say it – can make a tremendous impact no matter where we’re writing or for whom.

Writing for television news is completely different than writing for a magazine. The same is true when writing content for a web site. There are so many intricate details to consider. There’s an old childhood adage that says, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me.”

Of course, as adults, we know that isn’t true. Words do hurt. They can hurt us emotionally and psychologically. In the business world, words can hurt our reputation, our financial stability, and our ability to retain or attract employees.

Designing a web site that is captivating takes a special talent. Anyone can build an average looking web site now-a-days. But you’ve taken on the huge responsibility of providing the very best in your design and in getting your customers noticed on the World Wide Web. I take my hat off to those of you who can do this successfully.

I, however, am not creative in the same way. I have recognized my limitation in the area of design and readily acknowledge that I can’t draw, paint or design my way out of a paper bag. With that understanding, I leave that work to the experts – you.

As web designers, you must not only ensure the face of the site is satisfactory to your customer, but somehow, the content needs to be just as exhilarating. So, you might consider writing the content yourself. This is where you need to recognize your limitation, if there is one. (Be honest!!) Or perhaps you can allow your customer to provide the words. After all, they know their business best, don’t they?

We know that as entrepreneurs, we’re self-sufficient people. But these positive qualities can also lead to our downfall. Forward thinking entrepreneurs understand that, in order to find success for themselves and their customers, they must use the knowledge, experience and expertise of outside sources; outside sources such as copywriters.

Every piece of correspondence your clients have – including and not limited to a web site – should be the focal point, the heart of their corporate marketing. Professional copywriters write all the time (at least the good ones do) so they have a rich depth of experience in a variety of industries. Professional copywriters are skilled at managing the elements that make copy easy and enjoyable to read – things like tone, clarity, rhythm, cadence, and sentence length. They also bring a creative point of view to the project. In other words, they provide a fresh voice for a corporation.

Many clients argue that they know their own business better than anyone else, so why hire an outside copywriter. Because outside writers are not caught up in the details of the company, they can sometimes do a better job of communicating the big picture and strategic direction of a company in a clear and simple manner.

But what if your client already has a corporate communications or marketing person? It’s the same scenario. One national brand expert explains: “One can’t work inside a corporate communications department day in and day out and remain objective.”

Ok, so maybe I’ve convinced you that working with an outside copywriter is a good thing for you. After all, it frees you up to do what you do best – design web sites. But how do you convince your clients that it’s an investment well worth it?

This is where you take on the role of a consultant. Help your clients:

• Understand what hasn’t been working in their current correspondence or web content in order to make a change.
• Know what they want from a copywriter. (Do they want the writer to simply proof read, edit or write from scratch?)
• Know their target – is the correspondence focused around vendors, suppliers, clients, referral sources, employees?
• Consider industry experience, writing style and compatibility not only with their company but also with their staff and you, the design firm.

It isn’t easy guiding and advising your clients in the direction you know is best when they want to go elsewhere. But hopefully this will give you a few of the tools you’ll need to remind your clients that you can help them take their web site - and ultimately their business - to the next level. Much of that will depend on what you do while the rest of it may depend on what I say.

And remind them… it’s not just what you say, it’s the way you say it!

filed under: Imported Wisdom