Inez de Lambert | July 28, 2015
When people take responsibility for updating websites, they hire the developers and designers, get the look and function they want, build the CMS, and then….
…with 3 months to go, they begin to consider the words. They hire the writers, and brief them to reduce a 1,500-page website to, say, 200 pages. The clock is ticking.
What’s wrong with this picture? Design and functionality are crucial for delivering the content — the information. But content is king, as Bill Gates wrote in 1996.
The website design and function could be brilliant. But what if they take your readers to unclear writing or outdated information? Readers think the site, no matter how slick, is shoddy. Once a reader has a bad experience with your website, you lose their trust. They won’t want to visit again.
So when your website needs redeveloping, think of the content sooner. Don’t make the writing the orphan child of the project. It’s the King. Let it rule.
Writing well for the web is an essential skill. Learn how to create clear, accessible online content, tailored to your online audience and using the principles of human-centred language.
Book a workshop in New Zealand Book a workshop in your time zone
(Last updated: November 2024)