That’s why organizations that use gobbledygook business terms or industry jargon on the web decrease the value of their message by failing to connect and engage with audiences online.

So when we talk, in business, in terms of “verticals” or, in government, in terms of “branches”, and then structure websites to mimic this approach to organizing information, the potential for even greater dissociation with our target audience exists.

Now you aren’t just using words that hold no meaning for your target audience, you’re also labeling important navigational elements in a way that provide little context within your target audience’s frame of reference.

The tricky part about meaning is that what is significant to you may not be significant to all. Significance is determined by background, experiences, culture, values, etc.

Words Are As Much A “Signifier” As They Are A Conveyer Of “Significance”

Last September, Jeff Parks of i.a. consultants inc and I put on workshops in Jamaica through the Jamaica Chamber of Commerce. Jeff asked participants to organize colored candy pieces in any way they liked as a way of illustrating how organizational bias can influence how website’s are structured and navigational elements labeled.

It’s amazing the many different ways you can organize the same six colors!

In a conversation between two people, both have the opportunity to clarify ambiguities to derive meaning and understanding. Unless organizations are willing to do their homework up front to properly identify their target audience, and then research and define the vocabulary they use when referring to, and finding, specific products and services online …the messaging on their website will always be a one-sided conversation. Organizational bias is just one of the reasons many companies hire web content strategists and writers to bring a fresh perspective to their company’s website.

If you are interested in learning more about how to structure and label information in a way that is valuable to your target audience and your business, Jeff and I will be putting on similar workshops to those we conducted in Jamaica last year. Find out more at http://www.followtheuxleader.com

Perhaps it is how we conquer new frontiers, by staking claim of what is known, before we explore the infinite possibilities of what is not. As the sunset period of Web 2.0 is upon us, it stands to reason that we yearn to solidify definitions before we charter the organic fringes of the Semantic Web …where “relationship” defines meaning over “explanation” and “description”.

Definitions, by their very nature, distill explanations into their simplest form and in doing so often overlook precious nuances of interpretation and opportunities to gain broader perspectives beyond literal meaning.

We can’t always explain things within the compartmentalized reality of what we know.

This past week Jason Schubring at Six Revisions posted The Web Content Strategy Pyramid as a means of explaining the structure of a well-balanced content strategy.

I, myself, have used the familiar pyramid approach to visually explain Web Content: The Anatomy of 150 Words or Less and The Four Kinds of Web Content. In fact, everyone from Maslow to the FDA’s Food Pyramid (the source of inspiration for Schubring’s illustrative definition) have relied upon this basic shape as a rudimentary infographic for their ideas.

The problem with the pyramid is that it applies structure to a structure-less effort. Connecting and communicating with people cannot be delineated by shape. Proportionately it can …but for a strategy based on “the purpose of the website” or the “goals of an organization”, the nuances are too easily lost with a cut and dried approach.

I’m not saying Schubring intended the pyramid to exclude the nuance of strategy …and the 579 people who re-tweeted it obviously felt it was of value (and it is!) however, the very nature of a strategy means individualization.

My fear, as we strive to define the essence of what it is that we do is that we stop looking at possibilities for inclusion.

“I’m frustrated with the characterization of content strategy as “good writing” or “operational issues.” They are unnecessarily limiting, even if taken in the context of the web. I know there’s a design component here, a newly emergent set of  challenges that comes with preparing information to be delivered online.

Content strategists are designers, just like I am. And like me, the information architect, the “stuff” content strategists design is somewhat more abstract, somewhat less defined than a couple million pixels. But, aside from the composition of content, content strategists haven’t (to my satisfaction anyway) defined what it is they design, what’s the output of their work.”

~ Dan Brown, Letter to a Content Strategist

The Web Copy vs Web Content Debate

Alice and Rachel over at Contented recently wrote a blog post outlining the difference between web copy and web content. In Web Content or Web Copy: What’s the Difference? they put forth “Over time, the two words have come to refer to different kinds of writing.” And they’re not entirely wrong given the two opposing tracts of web content development: marketing-driven and usability-driven.

My thoughts (which were graciously published as an addendum to the post), is that we need to start looking at the broader definition of “Web Content” as the vehicle that conveys meaning and message. This includes video, audio, copy and graphics.

If Content Is King, Context Is The Kingdom!

The key in an industry that is focused on the expanses of the Web is in broadening our definitions so that they remain inclusive over time …not precise narratives of exacting detail.

I argue that, in time, as we strive to further define our roles as Content Strategists we will, in fact, find ourselves boxed in by the very title we have given ourselves. Because, in reality, we are Context Strategists – extracting, deriving, interpreting, and conveying meaning regardless of the technology at hand.

In many ways, Context Strategy welcomes nuance and interpretation and better positions us for the information/relationship of the coming Web 3.0

Sadly, however, even by that very definition it might just box us in…..

As I’ve talked about before in this blog, content for most organizations hasn’t evolved past the online brochure paradigm adopted from the print marketing collateral days. An organization’s content is still driven by information pertaining to the products, services, about/history, and contact/location of the organization itself.

Problem: It’s Always About You!

Using this approach, website traffic arrives from search engines (or directly) to a website that PROCLAIMS everything it thinks you need to know about the business through the lens of its marketing department.

What’s Wrong With That?

The problem with this method is it fails to take advantage of the technology behind websites that make them so much more than just static brochures. We talk a lot about conversion online, but few websites actually take the time to recognize that a lot of what converts website traffic into paying customers is, in fact, the content …and the functionality of that content.

(This is also why generalist writers often end up writing web content that reads more like a brochure. Their lack of technical understanding of content functionality can impede the user experience-focused interaction necessary for a successful website over the long term.)

Functional Content

Here is a model I use to describe the four kinds of web content that should exist on every website in order for it to be successful. Hat tip to Gerry McGovern who is a passionate advocate of Task-Based Content.

The inverted pyramid is a figurative approach to funneling website traffic leads into customers. Of course, a website’s audience is not only SEO driven but also (hopefully) an online representation of your business as a value-added service for existing customers as well.

Reality Check: The kind of content you have on your website will not only increase its functionality but its overall value to your business.

To borrow from a typical sales model – In order to move from lead generation -> qualified leads -> paying customer, your web content must encourage repeat website visits from both organic traffic and existing customers.

Web Content Ideas For Layered Content Delivery

Here are just a few ideas of the kinds of content that might exist on your website. Bear in mind that the purpose of your website will always trump the type of content and the proportions that are present.

For instance, a government research lab will probably be heavily weighted towards providing mostly information-based content, whereas an e-commerce site might be less inclined to focus on substantive details.

Information-Based: Great source for search engine optimized keywords. Provides general information about the organization to establish credibility and trustworthiness. More does not necessarily equal better.

Task-Based: Great way to build a customer database. Encourages repeat visits through functionality and bookmarking. Asks the site visitor to interact with the website in a way that gives them what they need/value i.e. Download the PDF, complete the form, sign up today, try our online calculator etc.

Community-Based: (or Conversation-Based) A great place for reputation management and encouraging feedback. A source of inspiration for new products/services and evergreening of web content. Social media tools like blogs, twitter, facebook, youtube are an easy addition provided an overall strategy is involved.

Retention-Based: Convenient approach for 24/7 customer service. Password-protected area may be required. This content is most linked to offline business strategy as it provides online value to existing customers. Closed-loop marketing campaigns with offline tactics (i.e. promotions, coupons, give-aways) would be one application of this kind of content.

Unlike print brochures, web content is a two-way conversation between an organization and its customers. That’s not to say that brochure websites aren’t going to deliver results, it’s just that it’s time to make our online conversations more engaging to target audiences by providing content that is interesting, entertaining, and of most value to them.

As Kristina Halvorson, president of Brain Traffic and author of Content Strategy for the Web, proclaimed in February of this year:

“Content strategy will soon be getting more attention than social media… Content strategy is more or less on the same trajectory as social media was three years ago.”

I knew that.

But few businesses do. Most know that the web development process doesn’t go as smoothly as they’d like …and even more recognize the need for an editorial process or publishing schedule after their websites go live ….but the majority don’t even know where to go to find a solution.


The Solution Is In Education and Awareness
…but how do you learn more about a burgeoning field like web content strategy?


Sign-Up For A Training Workshop!

Follow The UX Leader is a professional development workshop series created for organizations looking for hands-on knowledge in managing and supporting their corporate websites through content strategy and user experience design.

These aren’t the typical web courses you’d find at a local college or online. They’re hands-on, interactive and designed for non-technical people who often find themselves in roles where the web is also their responsibility. The goal is to give you the basics of web content writing, design and management – in one day – with practical experiences and knowledge you can bring back to your office and apply right away.

Workshops are currently scheduled for September/October 2010 in Ottawa, Canada, with additional locations and venues coming soon.

[disclosure: Follow The UX Leader is a joint initiative of Digitalword and its partner company i.a. consultants inc.]



Join A Local Web Content Strategy Meet-Up!

Web Content Strategy Meet-Ups are springing up all around the world on the heels of this year’s very successful Content Strategy Forum 2010 in Paris. If you are unable to attend the upcoming Web Content 2010 in Chicago in June, a local Web Content Strategy Meet-Up will initiate you into the benefits and challenges of this burgeoning discipline.

Local Ottawa professionals seeking to connect with other web content strategists, information architects and web content writers are invited to attend the inaugural Web Content Strategy Meet-Up Ottawa on May 18, 2010 with regular meetings to follow monthly starting in September.

[disclosure: Web Content Strategy Meet-Up Ottawa is sponsored by Digitalword]

Web content strategy isn’t a passing fad. It’s here to stay. As websites balloon to ten times their size and ever-changing social media campaigns are continuously added-on as after-thoughts, it’s time we got serious about the information organizations present online.

“…the world contains an unimaginably vast amount of digital information which is getting ever vaster ever more rapidly. This makes it possible to do many things that previously could not be done: spot business trends, prevent diseases, combat crime and so on. Managed well, the data can be used to unlock new sources of economic value, provide fresh insights into science and hold governments to account.”

~ The Economist, Special Report On Managing Information, February 2010

That’s when I resorted to using something a good writer should never use – a cliché. Not just any cliché, but an overused, jumped-the-shark, unoriginal cliché that’s so trite it applies to everything from personal growth to objective setting. And of course, the reason it’s so popular is because it works.

Ladies and gentlemen, I present: The Web Content Iceberg Analogy

Many people ask me how I can sit with a client for an hour and get everything I need to write the content for their website based on a simple conversation. What they don’t see is what goes on beneath the surface. My job as a web content writer is to distill hours of research, interviews, marketing information, and strategy into 150 words or less.

If I’ve done my job right, the web content on any given web page should communicate in seconds all of these hours of background work in a way that’s simple …meaningful ….and, easy to understand.

It’s not that hard to do if you know what to look for. The anchor for all content is the purpose of the website. What you communicate on each page and how you communicate that message is founded on who you’re talking to (your target audience). Everything else is content strategy and marketing strategy.

As an organization, what kinds of information can you provide a web content writer to make sure your web content effectively supports the website’s purpose?

- Web traffic statistics (Google Analytic Reports)
- Organizational challenges both internally and externally
- Marketing brochures or offline campaign information
- Communication challenges both internally and externally
- Marketing reports, audits, annual reports
- Product/service features
- Competitor websites
- Keyword research or organizational lexicon
- Target audience or customer information
- Other sources of present or forecasted content: i.e. YouTube videos, Podcasts

Writing is an art. Just like any art-form people erroneously assume that simplicity means easy …or quick …rudimentary …or less skilled.

Contemplation, understanding, and perspective are qualities all artists bring to the creative process. The resulting product of their creation is really just the tip of the iceberg.

The other day I went so far as to tweet: “A hooptie is still a hooptie even with a new coat of paint. It’s what’s under the hood that counts.”

While I’m the first to admit that web content is usually the culprit when it comes to a website not working — and by “not working” I mean little to no website traffic, struggling for page rank on Google, and few conversions from virtual lurkers to bona fide pick-up-the-phone-and-call customers — I am also the first to remind clients that the purpose for having a website is to connect, communicate and engage with website visitors in a way that makes sense to them …not you.

What this means is that if the client didn’t do their homework prior to launching the website, no amount of web content copy editing will be able to “fix” the underlying problem – a website that was designed not strategized.

Consider the many elements you’ll find on any typical website:

When you think about it, at the center of all of these elements is the content. The words on your web page determine everything from labeling the parent-level navigation …to the images used to provide context …to the key messages communicated in support of your corporate brand.

Would it not stand to reason, then, that when designing a website you should first consider what, how much and where the content will go before you get down to the business of design and development?

Websites are a 3 to 5 year investment. Properly forecasting how the website will grow in support of organizational and customer needs is part of the initial web content strategy. By thinking of all of the ways you might need to account for new content will make managing that content (adding and deleting pages) far easier in the future.

That’s not to say that professionally written web content can’t extend the life of an existing website. Just like on the popular MTV show Pimp My Ride, new or rewritten web content can make an old site fresh again. However, if the existing navigation structure needs an overhaul or the design can’t support the proposed content layout it may just be time to take the site to the scrap heap and start again.

Reality Check:

- If your website is already nearing five years old, it’s time to start anew.
- If your product/service has changed drastically or the vision for the company is targeting a new audience segment, it’s time for a new website.
- If the specific wording for your product/service has changed or a widely accepted term has taken its place, it’s time to get back to the drawing board.
- If you are implementing an SEO campaign and the keywords you are optimizing for don’t mesh with the existing navigation labels, it’s time to revisit the design
- If the website structure and navigation no longer supports the offline services or customer support you offer, it’s time to look at a redesign.

Web Content Strategists work in tandem with User Experience Designers to create Website Strategy Blueprints that clients can use to identify their content requirements before the design and development phase takes place.

A recent video on the blueprint concept of wireframing presented at the Interaction10 conference illustrates just how much planning should go into your web design or redesign project, so that you too can avoid the limitations of Square Peg, Round Hole Web Content.

In the interest of time (of which they have little), they invariably break the first cardinal rule of web content review as they bravely take on the company’s role of de facto editor:

“Thou Shalt Not Forward The First Draft Of Web Content To Staff, Friends And Family For Feedback And Comments”

In the business owner’s defense, their rationale is sound. After all, colleagues and internal staff know the business inside out and should be able to provide constructive criticism on the information presented, while non-industry friends and family can give honest feedback on whether or not they “liked” the writing itself.

The problem, in the end, is that each member of this hodgepodge review team brings his/her own bias to the editorial process making it more convoluted and less constructive than the business owner ever intended it to be.

De facto editorial teams typically:

- Extend the content phase of the web development process; and can,
- Skew the design and messaging off course entirely.

Here’s why:

All successful website projects must start by defining the main goal or purpose of the website. Simply having a website because “everyone else has one” doesn’t really qualify as a quantifiable objective against which you can measure results.

A website’s purpose may be to increase brand awareness, build customer relationships, provide information, or serve as an additional sales channel thus predominantly dictating web content requirements including choice of tone and style to “speak” to the identified target audience for whom the website is intended.

Nota Bene: Your website’s purpose drives your web content — and your web content drives everything else including the design and site navigation structure.

So, when a well-intentioned business owner shares the first draft of web content with a group of “editors” who were not involved in defining the website’s goal or messaging in the first place, the comments and feedback received are of limited value at this stage of the editorial process.

Reality Check:

- Staff often have a myopic view of the company as filtered through the lens of their own day-to-day jobs and experiences.

- Friends and family have varied experiences that can alter their perception of the content focusing in on style, tone, and grammar instead of key messaging and positioning.

- Staff, board members, friends and family are often not your target audience.

- Few are versed in the usability aspects of web content (text is scanned – not read; web pages aren’t sequential; SEO alters sentence structure and vocabulary choice; etc.)

- Fewer still recognize that writing for the web is different than writing for print (which, right away, negates the comments from a next door neighbour who happens to be a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, or a sister who writes children’s books in her spare time)

This is why, business owners who share the first draft of their web content with too many unqualified individuals (i.e. those who were not privy to the initial web strategy planning meetings) typically end up getting confused and being forced off course by trying to amalgamate all feedback into one cohesive content solution.

This leads to either additional revision cycles, or worse, unnecessary rewrites at the expense of a project’s budget, timeline …and ultimate goal.

Solution:

- Include all relevant staff and/or colleagues during initial website strategy meetings. These individuals will then form your editorial review team for the first draft of content. Team members should include all business partners (stakeholders/decision makers), as well as representatives from marketing, sales, admin and/or IT (if feasible/applicable).

- Include the web copywriter in all discussions pertaining to the web development project, especially those involving strategy, branding, and design.

- Wait until the 2nd or final draft before soliciting input from other colleagues, staff, board members, friends and family.

Websites are as much about creative expression as they are about functional information delivery. From the look and feel to the style and tone, it’s easy to get swayed by personal preference. By focusing on the website’s purpose and target audience, web content review becomes much more about “hitting the mark” with respect to positioning and messaging …than about shivers on the back of the neck subjectively-induced from reading well-written prose.

How did a recently graduated English Literature major with no prior experience in sales do it? Here are the top 3 things I learned that apply to online business today:

Publish Information People Can Use …and Understand!

Have you ever read the fine print of most financial documents? To the average reader, the acronyms and third person narrative are dry, intimidating, and confusing. One of the first things I did when I started in my position fresh out university was to leverage my inherent ability to write as a way of connecting with my target market.

Through newsletters that ignored industry jargon, focused on plain language, and provided real-life examples of how our company’s products/services could be used, I not only built respect and credibility for my knowledge …but was able to initiate relationships with others who found value in what I was writing about.

Online Business Tip #1: Craft your web content around your target audience. Provide valuable information in a way that connects and engages, using plain language …not industry-speak!

Relationship Building Doesn’t Stop At The Handshake

In sales, the best source of leads is your natural market – friends, family, colleagues. One of the challenges I faced was that I was working in a market that was entirely new to me. I moved to the city for the job. This meant that each and every person I met had to be treated as a potential client …and the relationships I needed to establish had to extend long past the initial handshake.

How did I do this? By listening to people and finding out what was important to them in their careers, their business and their lives. I paid attention to spouses names, their children’s interests and other aspects of their lifestyle that they valued. I then solidified the relationships I built by seeking out ways to genuinely help people in areas that mattered to them. The key here is “genuine” – - after all, taking a bona fide interest in someone else is very different than serving your own interests by being fake.

Online Business Tip #2: Relationships aren’t built by “accepting” LinkedIn or Facebook invitations alone. Foster relationships through conversations on Twitter, send email links to blog posts, videos of interest, and “share this”. Whenever possible, make sure to connect face-to-face offline. Above all else: be yourself, be transparent and be genuine!

Never Sell On Price

In the insurance business, you never make just one sale. Upon policy renewal, you are responsible for reselling the insurance vehicle despite any rate changes to the premiums. That’s why selling on price alone was always a bad approach to building business.

This unique set of circumstances forced me to focus on educating clients on the benefits of the product and company over its selling features. Most insurance products have similar attributes, so highlighting intangible elements not related to the product itself was a way to differentiate ourselves from the competition and stand out in the client’s mind. Things like: local service, free seminars, and even just the positive aspect of doing business with me and my colleagues. By educating clients on both the benefits and features of the policy, it made reselling at the time of renewal that much easier. Price increases can be explained by external factors, visceral reactions to price increases are much harder to overcome when the client was never sold on the value of the product in the first place.

Online Business Tip #3: A cheaper price is always just a click away! Focus on intangibles like creating a positive online experience by organizing content in a way that makes sense for your target audience, not your organization. Make sure your web content is written in a way that is approachable, readable, and provides information that your current competition may not be offering. Provide value-added services like mobile and customizable content. And think of creative ways to both highlight and add value to your products/services online and off!

In my experiences, the Herb Tarlek approach to sales never worked. My success was largely defined by the relationships I built with other people …both clients and fellow team members.

Successful websites recognize the value in connecting with other people and facilitate this connection in ways that are meaningful and engaging to a specific target audience. Web stats alone can’t reflect this value …but your bottom line results over the long term will!

Web content in 2009 seems to have weathered the storm of the economic downturn and, in fact, is poised to only increase in popularity in 2010. A comparatively inexpensive investment relative to the overall cost of developing or redeveloping a company website, organizations are slowly starting to recognize the inherent value of web content as a business asset.

After all, a recession-proof strategy for most websites typically includes one which increases traffic, yields higher conversions, builds stronger relationships and creates a more positive experience online – all direct functions of a successful web content strategy and web content writing.

However, just because the virtues of web content are inherent for “fixing” many of the problems associated with websites today does not mean that content alone is a blanket solution for every aspect of the business.

Sure, keywords can drive traffic, messaging can position product, and calls to action can encourage sales – but it’s ultimately the core offline business decisions that will have the greatest influence on success. It’s easy to get caught up in the expectation of what a website can do rather than what it can realistically deliver.

I have had a number of clients with a local client base reach the saturation point for what their SEO can accomplish. It stands to reason that once all of your existing customers are referencing your web content, and the number of people who need your services out of a base population are already connecting with your site through search engines and directory listings – - you may not be able to tap any further into the lead generation pool.

When this happens, it’s time to get back to the basics of Business 101: Are you charging more than what the current market will bear? Are there ways to add value to your products/services? What online tools or content can be included that might increase customer service, or provide information above and beyond what the competition delivers?

There’s no doubt about it, in this age of information the organizations who fail to recognize the value of web content are those who are failing to capitalize on one of their company’s biggest assets. However, companies who also over-value content as a solution to all of their business problems risk missing opportunities to generate sales/leads/relationships in novel ways both on and offline. As with everything in life – balance is key.

Web content strategies can learn a lot from television advertising. You see, when I talk about web content to clients, I don’t just mean the words on the web page. I mean defining and communicating key messages using the best possible tools available to do just that.

Websites used to only be about branding and messaging – hence, the commonly used online brochure analogy. However, with embedded video and integrated social media applications and campaigns, web content has to be about supporting the purpose of the website in a way that makes it more memorable than brand positioning and recall alone.

This is one of the reasons I advocate clients think about their website’s content before the design. One is the driver for the other. This is also why I believe tools such as wireframes, when done properly, can serve to not only facilitate discussions about what messages need to be communicated on each and every page of the website …but how.

Gerry McGovern talks about the “Content-Attention Paradox” in his book “Killer Web Content”. The premise is quite simple and governs (no pun intended) the practices of professional web content writers everywhere – the amount of written text on a web page is inversely proportional to the attention span of your readers.

Quite simply, the greater the number of words on a web page, the less reading people will do – after 150 words, you’ve probably already lost 80% of your audience.

So, how do you communicate your message in 150 words or less? Take a cue from time constrained 15-30 second television commercials. If a picture is worth 1000 words – adding video or images to your website gives you upwards of 1,150 words to work with. For example:

The message can be the focal point with images and video as supporting players like in the following ad from Wiserhood:

Or the images or video can be the focus of the message with the content merely serving to reinforce or clarify the purpose, like in this ad for Grand Marnier:

The most effective web content strategy approach, therefore, is the one that best articulates the message you’re trying to convey, in a way that engages your target audience, in a manner that supports the primary purpose of your website.

That’s why, when a recent client came to me and asked for a quote for web content writing for a brand new website, I steered them back to the web content strategy phase. The client, a prominent interior design firm, was better served by a website whose message – internationally-renowned, outside-of-the box, creative solution provider – was delivered in pictures, rather than words. Very rarely do I promote web design before web content writing …in this case, it was a no-brainer.

As a profession, web content strategists need to adjust their way of thinking to extend the “Content-Attention Paradox” and provide greater value to clients and target audiences alike, by:

- Implementing a social media strategy that encourages participatory content creation and proliferation – actively (comments on blogs etc) or virally (Share This!);

- Partnering with User Experience professionals whose talents for communicating visually (i.e. infographics) extend beyond the linear parameters of the written word; or

- Expanding our own way of thinking by reading, recognizing and adopting visual communication techniques like those featured in Dan Roam’s book “Back of the Napkin”

While Content is still King …Context can be shaped without adding more blah, blah to a web page!

February, for me, is my favourite time of year because the Super Bowl spawns a whole new batch of creative advertising campaigns. The Super Bowl has a lot riding on it …and for marketers it’s not about which team wins or loses. One 15-30 second commercial has to communicate, engage, leave an impression, and hopefully be something worth sharing long after the winning field goal has been kicked.

Web content isn’t far off from these objectives as well. Whether it’s a 30 second spot or 150 words or less, it has just as much riding on it. Because in the end, it always comes down to numbers …and ROI is the most important one of all.