It's about the content
“Users don’t come to Web sites for an experience, they come for the content”—that’s a quote from the industry-leading content strategist, Kristina Halvorson. While it was a one-off quip during her presentation at SXSW Interactive, I was left thinking “wait, isn’t it my job to design experiences?” Then it hit me. Users actually come to Web sites to experience the content. My work is to actually make sure that users have a pleasurable experience when finding, consuming and sharing our precious content.
Industry-wide, companies struggle with their Web content—and while this includes video, audio and images, we (as an industry) struggle the most with text. Why is that? Writing is often an afterthought. We know that we need content, but we wait too long to engage our writers. Once they are engaged we give them a stack of documentation like wireframes, sitemaps and design mockups and ask them to sort out the mess. That isn’t fair. We should take more time to carefully plan for our content. After all, it’s what the users want.
At Capstrat we’re not completely guilty of this, but we could do better.
I’m committed to taking a renewed look at content in my next project. I’m going to start by working with our writers to answer the hard questions about content:
- Why do we need it?
- What business goal does it support?
- What do our users expect?
- What’s driving the client to insist that this be included?
- Does it support the brand?
Asking these (and more) will lead us to a better understanding of the most important deliverable of any project: the content.
Comments
Thank you for this post!
As someone who came to the online marketing world via a content production past, this is one of the most important things I stress to people when consulting with them regarding their Interactive marketing strategy.
So true Evan. I know it's a cliche but content is king on many levels. You can have the best site in the world but if there's nothing good to consume, I'm certainly not coming back. Glad you're enjoying SXSW. And thanks for the live blog earlier. I missed it when it happened but did read the recap.
Great post Evan. Could not agree more.
One thing always bothers me about the word "content". Usually, it's said in reference to text. Prose. What replaces "Lorem." But it's larger than that, of course. It's the unison of (at least) design, UX, copy, tech and strategy.
Some things can't be communicated through text as well as imagery; some ideas are best expressed through interaction. The point is that everyone needs to own "content" because it's an amalgam of the parts.
Even using the term "content" implies something parochial, something distant. Something that someone "fills in."
Now, I don't think silos and fiefdoms are what you meant when you wrote this post. But I do think that content should be approached holistically and equally across each of the experience touch points: UX, copy, tech and design.
Todd, collaboration is key. No silos and fiefdoms here.
Todd is right. Content is not just about the words, but it is a collaboration of copy, visuals, design, and user experience. Copy and visuals are the reason I visit a site in the first place. However, if I find the site difficult to navigate, then I’ll go somewhere else despite the quality of the copy. The same goes for a well-designed site that offers little copy. One thing shouldn’t be given preference over another when creating the web site’s content because it is all important for a successful web site.
Amen, brother. Agree that of all the content on a site, companies have a harder time understanding the importance of language. They get site architecture, design, visuals, but can flounder when it comes to telling their story in a way that speaks to what their audience needs or is interested in. And that's true of most corporate communications, not just Web.
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