An Agile Approach to Content Saves Stress (and Money!)

I have a hard time understanding why clients stress about writing content. (I'm a writer, so it's my passion. Sue me. Please don't.) To others, it can be overwhelming and intimidating knowing each piece of copy must appeal to users AND to stakeholders approving that language. Ok, I get it. When web projects launch past original deadlines, more often than not it's solely because of lagging content -- not, perhaps surprisingly, because major development or design elements are past due. While priorities are being set and the Agile process takes hold of both development and design, the content gets pushed to the back burner. Project managers, designers, and developers often come up with snippets of content to insert across the site while waiting ... and waiting ... for the final approved content to arrive. Sometimes, it doesn't, and the site launches with what informed team members thought works well for both the space and the purpose. No need to stress! Why not take an Agile approach to writing content? Make it a priority (because it should be) alongside development and design decisions. Instead of working for weeks toiling over a central document that circulates to all stakeholders and undergoes fourteen revisions before any text actually gets incorporated into the site, why not start early and write some text to use on the site as it's built? Throw some samples and ideas and voices over the fence (to us) to integrate with the site during (or even before) the design process. Or send along what you've got (regardless of what that is) and have our copywriter take a stab at revitalizing your content to speak to your users while meeting your business goals. Ultimately, when your content is put in perspective -- in the user experience, that is -- you'll find that it's now complemented by the design and development features of the site overall. Or, it can actually be constrained by those elements. Either way, it can take on new meaning that you simply can't derive when revising and editing within the constraints of a Word document. By addressing content early and understanding its crucial impact on your site's success, our team will be free to spend more time fine tuning the details (that set apart your site) with your budget.