Planning a New Website? Don’t ‘Cut & Shut’ Your Copy!

In web design projects – at least in our experience – the creation of written content is often left until late in the process. Usually this is because, despite having the very best intentions of drafting their own copy, the client found the process more of a struggle than they’d anticipated.

The temptation then can be to press on with design, simply leaving space to backfill with text at a later point, but taking this ‘cut and shut’ approach will almost certainly lead to a second rate website.

Design and copy need to work together to bring out the best in each other, and ensuring both these creative processes are co-ordinated will result in a website that’s more than the sum of its parts.

You may be drafting copy yourself, or engaging a professional copywriter to do it for you, but whoever has responsibility will need to have a clear understanding of the creative approach, exactly what needs to be communicated, how the site will function, how navigation will work, which areas require populating with content, and what the approximate word count for each area is. To achieve this, the web designer and copywriter will need to work closely together, agreeing project stages and key deadlines at the outset, communicating regularly throughout, and sharing work as the project progresses.

Having said that it’s vital to consider written content as early as possible, this doesn’t mean every word has to be drafted and signed off before work can begin on design. Instead, you can use alternative or ‘proto-copy’ – this might be copy lifted from your current site if you have one, taken from a competitor’s site, or just very roughly drafted text that gives the gist of what you want to say. Using proto-copy rather than the usual lorem ipsum will help provide context so that as the project progresses and refinements are made, you (or the copywriter if you’re using one) and the designer can make the best decisions.

Every project will be different of course, but if design and copy are progressed alongside one another, it will ensure they integrate seamlessly, make the production process far easier, and improve both the visual aesthetics and effectiveness of the finished site.

Should You Draft Your Own Copy?

There’s absolutely no reason why not, after all, no one is going to have the knowledge or passion you do about your business… but just before you start sharpening up your pencil, you should ask yourself two crucial questions:

1. Do I have the skills?

By this, we don’t just mean can you put a sentence together, or do you have a basic grasp of the rules of grammar; you’ll need to be able to create copy that:

Engages instantly.
Captures & conveys the tone of voice, personality & values of your business.
Communicates key messages clearly & concisely.
Takes visitors on a journey & inspires action.

We’re not saying copywriting is rocket-science, but drafting sales and marketing copy is a science of sorts. It requires you to put yourself in your customers’ place, and write from their perspective rather than your own. Doing this, and focusing on benefits (why your customer needs your product or service) as opposed to features (how your product or service works) is something that some business owners find difficult, but which will be second nature to a professional writer.

2. Do I have the time?

It’s easy to underestimate the time that can go into drafting and revising written content. Perhaps this question is better re-phrased as ‘would your time (or indeed the time of any other team member you delegate this task to) be better spent working on other areas of your business and generating income?’

Are You Lost for Words?

Should either of these questions make you think twice about taking on copywriting for your own website, there is a simple, cost-effective solution – let Deep write your web copy for you.

If writing’s not your thing, or you simply don’t have the time, we can provide you with compelling, persuasive copy that will integrate perfectly with the design of your new website and help make sure it generates the results you want.