Why Does the Content Process Takes So Long?

August 23, 2009 | by Carrie Hane Dennison | Posted in Web Content, Web Strategy

If you are a Balance Interactive client, you know that one of the first things on the project plan is a content audit or inventory. And one of the last things is content transfer. In between is the overall strategy phase, design and development. You might wonder, Why do I have to start thinking about content so early? Let me explain.

We start with the content inventory to evaluate what is currently on the site and compare it to what should be on the new site. This shows where the content gaps are, helps weed out old content that doesn’t need to be moved to the new site, and gives everyone an idea of how much content is actually on the site.

This content inventory, combined with the web strategy goals, contributes to the content strategy document. This document is then used to guide everything else about the content at the site. It defines how to fill content gaps, recommendations for addressing user needs, ways to get your message across, the editorial process, maintenance issues and more.  All of these things are taken into consideration when the site map is developed, wireframes are created, the interface is designed and functionality is defined.

One big reason the content time line is so long is that the content has to be developed. Remember that content is not just words, but images, videos, audio files, applications – in short anything that you see on a website. It takes time to write the right the words, find the images, record the videos and develop the applications. The good news is that all of this can happen while the designers are creating their designs and developers are writing their code. Content waits for no one!

Finally, remember that the people tasked with developing content usually have a plate full of “regular” job duties, making the website extra work. They have to make time to generate the content needed for the new site, so we like to give people as much time as possible. If we can do this during the first few weeks of a project, we can give people a month or more (sometimes!) to get the content done.

Content and content strategy are part of every phase of a website development project. Without it, basic questions are left unanswered. So by starting right away, the site is more likely to be on time and on budget. That is something everyone loves to hear!