Key Takeaways:
What is “Content?”
Images, text, videos and any other assets
Copy:
Who is writing the initial content?
Who is editing the content?
Who is loading the content on the website? Compare against the scope of work.
Photos/Videos:
Does your team have videos already (ideal format is a vimeo or youtube link)
Does your team have all images in the right format? (Ideally .jpg for most places on the site, if a transparent background is needed, .png)
Are photos already done (or do any need to be purchased)?
Are animations going to be present on the site? Do these need to be created/ handed off?
Are there pieces of content still needed to be planned out/ scheduled? (i.e. photoshoot).
Additional information:
Are the other people that need to sign off on a certain section of a page (a director, CEO, etc.)?
Will anything need to be hidden at time of launch (specific pages for future events, etc.)
Who will be maintaining post launch?
Content most commonly missed until the last minute:
FAQ sections
headshots/ bio photos
Team/ individual bio content
About content
“I’ll get to it later” sections.
How to review content:
Does the copy embody the tone of the brand?
Are all images, video links, sections presented in the wireframes?
Transcript:
0:00 This is a two-for-one training. Not only will we go over how to review content, but how to prepare the content needed for your website.
0:09 So first and foremost, what is content? What do we mean by content? So content does include copy, so all the text.
0:16 You’ll see on your website, but it also includes images, videos, any assets, gifs, logos, and things like that. So when we say we need content, we’re talking about all of those things.
0:28 So now that we’ve defined what content is, we need to figure out how to prepare. The content for the site.
0:33 So who is going to write the content? Is it a collaborative approach? Is Skyhook writing some? Is your team writing some?
0:42 Is there a copywriter on your team that is going to provide? And then we’re going to edit the copy. So this should all be noted in the scope of work, but of course you can ask your project manager if you have any questions at all.
0:54 And no matter who is actually writing the copy, highly recommend there is some sort of content outline if it’s not already directly in the designs.
1:02 This makes it a lot easier. When we’re doing the build to figure out if there’s specific metadata that needs to be included, like a title tag or meta description, specific headlines and copy, button text and things like that.
1:18 So having an outline. On a Google Doc or another format can be very helpful, so that way nothing gets missed.
1:29 Alright, so we figured out copy. Next up on our list would be images. Images are also part of content. We want to know where they’re coming from.
1:40 Are they stock images that need to be purchased? Does your team already have a file or source for these images?
1:51 Are they in a Dropbox? Folder that can be shared? Are they ready to go? Are there any images that are still pending final edits?
1:59 Maybe you just had a photoshoot and you’re waiting on your photographer for these changes or maybe you need to schedule a photoshoot for some headshots or for some group photos.
2:08 As well as some other shots for the website. So I need to figure out where the photos coming from and then if anything needs to be scheduled.
2:17 So I know I mentioned photoshoots. Do you need to still schedule some for the future? I’m looking at videos. Too right?
2:25 Are they in the right format? So maybe you’re doing a photoshoot and a video shoot. We want those files to be saved as a Vimeo link or YouTube link.
2:34 So we want to make sure that everything is planned out and at least have a date in mind when. These photoshoots are happening or video shoots because they can cause delays in the project if we don’t think forward about them.
2:47 Alright, moving on to sign off. So we figured out copy. We figured out images and other assets. But we want to make sure that we know who’s signing off on the content.
3:00 So does someone else that’s not part of this main project team need to be pulled in at a later date for their approval?
3:08 Do they need to be pulled in at certain phases of the project or just right before launch? So knowing when can also be helpful to let your project manager know so we can account for that in the timeline.
3:19 Last but not least, after launch, who is maintaining the content? Are there certain pages that are timely, maybe events or posts, some news?
3:28 Who’s blogs that need to be updated or added to the site? So who is doing that? Is that your team?
3:34 Are you working with our support team for modifications and changes on the site? Are you planning on yearly photo shoots or do other things need to get updated and swapped out?
3:44 So, maintaining the site is also another key spot to keep in mind when you are planning out the copy phase.
3:53 Alright, and since you’ve been such a good listener, I wanted to give you some tips and tricks about content that’s most commonly missed, so you can be one step ahead of the game.
4:04 These are sections of the site that oftentimes are just noted as placeholders, and then it comes to the last and final hours where that placeholder needs to be swapped with the real content.
4:17 Common sections of the site that we see this would be FAQs, so Frequently Asked Questions oftentimes initially is just placeholder content, or maybe at the time you only have one or two questions, you’re waiting on multiple team members to share you know dozens of other questions, so make sure that in
4:36 the FAQ section, if that is on your website, that you’ve gone through and made sure it’s not just placeholder anymore, but it’s actually the final content.
4:43 So FAQs, also when working with the greater team, I don’t forget about headshots, bio photos, content for these pages. It can be difficult and time consuming if you’re waiting on 15 people on your team to provide a headshot or an updated bio and running around trying to chase them down.
5:04 For this website project. So make sure from the beginning they know these hard deadlines are coming up so that way we don’t forget about someone’s headshot or full bio.
5:17 Along those same lines, the about page. Typically a website is going to have some type of about us section or about page.
5:25 This can oftentimes be placeholder content or it can be something that another stakeholder has to review and revise and approve before it can get placed on the site.
5:34 So don’t forget about that type of page. And then overall just any other I’ll get to it later sections or placeholder content.
5:43 This could be even something as simple but yet very important as a phone number that’s globally used. So make sure you have gone through all of those other sections that have been placeholder deemed content.
5:57 Alright so that’s how to prepare the content, how to review the content. So once we have all the copy and images and videos, we want to review it.
6:06 And so as you’re reviewing the copy, you want to see does this embody the tone of your brand. So hopefully you’ve already been through a brand process, you know your brand inside and out, and as you’re reading through the copy, everything meshes well.
6:22 Especially if this is a site update, or you’ve pulled in multiple different copywriters, you want to make sure everyone is in the same wavelength and matching the tone, the brand’s tone.
6:35 When you’re reviewing images and videos, you want to make sure that uhm for any kind of video links, images, uhm other things that kind of be forgotten about because they’re more of a visual piece.
6:49 So early on in the wireframe phase, as you’re looking over the different sections, you want to keep the content in mind.
6:56 You know, you have a video shoot scheduled, you’re going to have three amazing videos about a product or a service, and in the wireframes, there’s no spot for these videos.
7:06 Or maybe there’s only a spot for one video and you know you’re going to have two. So when you’re reviewing the content and in the wireframe, phase you’re reviewing to see you know what sections are present on the site, you want to make sure that you know what content is going to be coming, especially
7:21 if it’s in progress, that there is a place for it on the new site. And then last but not least that as you’re going through specific pages, for example an attorney bio, that there isn’t unique content that hasn’t been thought through.
7:40 So for example, if you know a person’s bio has a podcast, or someone has a book they wrote, or 400 blog posts, you know that there is some type of unique content gets maintained, or edited, or you know if it’s a brand new website that you want to place on this site.
8:08 So those are some things to keep in mind when reviewing content, as well as some key tips and tricks when preparing content.