Content Management: Whose Job Is It Anyway?

By Kelly Goto

Part II: The Process

There is not one perfect way to manage the process of content development. Just as every web project is different, so is the manner in which you address the process. The following is a framework for managing the content development process in tandem with the development of a web site. Use this methodology as a starting point and as a guide.

Phase 1: Discovery & Clarification: Gather Data
Phase 2: Setting Framework: Outlining Content
Phase 3: Writing: Creating the Copy Deck
Phase 4: Publishing: Posting, Reviewing & Editing

Phase 1: Discovery & Definition - Gathering Data

Generally, the content manager does whatever is necessary to gather data and produce the deliverables necessary for the site design and development. In the Discovery Phase, the content manager should spend time talking to the key stakeholders in the company to learn what their business goals are, find out who the audience is and what they currently desire and strategize about how to merge the two sets of needs. Questions such as how the web site fits into the larger corporate strategy; how the current (soon to be ousted) site meets or fails current measurable goals; if the new site is using the old content; etc. should be asked. Research into the competition and overall industry should also be conducted. These do not have to be formal endeavors. However, having a solid overview of the company's industry, web site strategy and audience is the goal for this stage.

Before continuing, clarification of the overall goals, audience and strategy should be produced as a Communication/Marketing Brief. The content schedule and list of deliverables should be clearly outlined and approved by all involved. Make sure to add time in for QA (Quality Assurance) of copy prior to project launch. Don't depend on last minute editing online of copy and content. Although this is inevitable, it is often what leads to sloppy mistakes and accidental overwriting of pages, layout and more.

Phase 2: Setting Framework - Outlining Content

The next phase of the content development cycle is creating the content framework. This is created in the form of a content outline, which captures the main sections of the site (I, II, III, IV, V, etc.) and then adds in known secondary and tertiary pages (a, b, c, d, etc.) with placeholder titles. This may be as easy as using what currently exists or it may involve several meetings (with conflicting results) to generate a new or modified framework and outline of the site. This outline may change during the site structuring process. But putting together the framework for the site via a content outline is the best way to determine the scope and depth of the site plus the scope and depth of the content writing and acquisition process.

Some content managers (in their copywriting role) prefer to start writing copy for the main pages of the site and move on to secondary or additional pages of the site after the main pages are completed. Sometimes it is difficult to glean the entire site's content without starting work on the high-level marketing messages and overall goals. This is acceptable as a stalling point for a short time (in order for the copywriter to truly get his or her head around the project) but the first deliverable must be a comprehensive site outline.

Content Audit

Phase 3: Writing - Creating the Copy Deck

The next step in the process is to begin putting the content together. Remember, content is not just copy - it is text, graphics, quotes, advertising and active links, <TITLE> tags and more. Understanding how to approach the creation of the actual content takes experience. A good way to start is to determine the readiness of the content. What content will be ported over in its existing format from the current site? What content exists in digital form and needs little to no editing? What content needs to be created from scratch? Divide the content into chunks of deliverables that make sense, and attach due dates and review cycles to each chunk. Plan for enough time to review and edit the copy offline, and then to review and edit the copy once it is integrated into the HTML of the site itself. Paper does not screen copy make.

The copy deck can be developed in stages, starting with a description of what will be on the page "a short paragraph or two" and the call to action on the page - shown by an actual HTML link or some other graphics. Also consider sidebar information and other page elements such as quotes or advertising. The web design team will need to plan for these elements as they work out the wireframing of the page in their own site-structuring phase. Working collaboratively during this stage is a must. Potential confusion and frustration often occur during this timeframe, when the client and copywriter just want to start writing directly into the HTML of a page, and the web design team needs to know what goes on the page in order to start the design process effectively.

Content Management Systems (CMS) and XML-based sites

Phase 4: Publishing - Posting, Reviewing & Editing

The final step in the process of content development is to finalize the copy deck and integrate the copy into the development process following the building phase of the site. If templates have been created by the web design team, the integration team should be building out the entire site and pouring in the content from the final deck. This allows the copy and linking structure to be viewed and tested in HTML. The navigational copy, links, invisible copy (see call out below) graphics and images should all be in place. This is the final run through before showtime!

The truth is, generally at this stage, all of the content is not completed and the client has a very well intended but poorly timed plan of eliminating the pages that aren't yet completed. This causes a lot of trouble from the development side, as these pages have been built and linked to. Proper planning and estimating time and resources from the framework/site-structuring phase would help solve this problem earlier in the process. At this stage, have a solid plan for content revisions as editing online, on the fly, may cause issues with version control if the site is still in production.

Invisible Copy

Summary
The most successful redesign projects are those where a content manager is identified in the beginning of the project and works through the proofing of developed HTML web pages. Hopefully, awareness of the critical need of the content manager, plus familiarity with the content development process will become more of a norm than it is today. Thus, everyone's job --especially the content manager's -- will be more understood and appreciated.

Links to resources on effective writing for the web:

• www.useit.com/papers/webwriting/ - Jacob Nielsen's research on how users read on the web and how writers should write for the web
• Www.sun.com/980713/webwriting/ - A summary by Jacob Nielsen and Sun's Science Office of how they improved website usability by rewriting content
• http://www.macromedia.com/resources/techniques/ - A Macromedia and gotomedia co-authored resource on website content structuring and development
• usableweb.com/topics/001310-0-0.html - A collection of links about writing and editing web content
• www.webtechniques.com/archives/2001/02/kilian/ - Killian's thoughts on web writing and molding information to the web
• www.webwiseone.com - A company of former technical writers offering humorous, conversational and instructional content solutions
• Hot Text: Web Writing that Works A book that provides a summary of current thought on "user-centered" writing for the web

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