Content Strategy for
Everybody (Even You)
karen mcgrane
Bond Art + Science | [e-mail]
Web content is the meat in the sandwich, not the
icing on the cake. Too often, organizations build
websites and then neglect the content, letting it
languish, unread and unloved. Even during web-
site redesigns, the editorial process gets short
shrift in favor of building shiny new features
and creating fancy new designs. Thinking about
the content is always left until the last minute,
always thought to be “somebody else’s problem.”
Ever wonder why so many websites feature
dense, unreadable prose? Force you to navigate
through pages of brochure copy and legalese?
Look like they backed up a truck full of PDFs
and dumped them in the content management
system?
No content strategy, that’s why.
When done the wrong way, creating new con-
tent and managing the approval process takes
longer and is more painful than anyone expects.
But planning for useful, usable content is pos-
sible—and necessary. It’s time to do it right.
If you’re looking for ways to make your Web
content better, there are several books by leading
practitioners in the field to choose from. Which
one is right for you? It depends on who you are
and why you’re reading it.
For a writer who wants to work on the web
(or someone who already does)
Need a general overview of principles and best
practices for Web writing? Maybe you’re a copy-
writer who typically works for print publications,
but you want to expand into writing for the Web.
Or you’re responsible for your company’s website
and you need a high-level guide to Web content,
architecture, and design principles. Letting Go of
the Words by Ginny Redish provides a thorough
overview for anyone looking to move from creat-
ing content that gets read to content that gets
used. With plenty of illustrations and screen-
shots, Redish practices what she preaches—she
shows rather than tells what works.