Square peg, round hole. I use this expression a lot when it comes to explaining to clients what it’s like to rewrite the web content for their existing website without making any other changes to the website itself – like tweaks to the navigation structure or design.

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.