The Easy Guide to Planning Website Content

23 May

Planning your website content is one of the most crucial steps in developing an effective website. It's not just about the text; it involves prioritising information and determining the specific content for each page, including images, videos, charts, and more. Let’s break it down into simple, manageable steps.

Step 1: Create an Ideal Customer Persona

First things first, define your Ideal Customer Persona (ICP). This is a detailed profile of your perfect customer, including demographics, needs, goals, and problems. Knowing your ICP helps you attract and engage your target audience effectively. If you need a hand, check out our guide to defining your ideal customer and grab our free ICP template.

Step 2: Write a Key Benefit Statement

Next, identify your key benefit. How does your business uniquely help your ideal customer? Why should they choose you over the competition? Your key benefit statement will guide the development of your website’s text and headlines, making sure your value is clear to visitors. Need help crafting one? Learn how to create a compelling key benefit statement here.

Step 3: Define Your Call to Action

What do you want your visitors to do? Whether it’s scheduling a meeting, buying a product, requesting a quote, downloading a resource, or calling you, define your primary Call to Action (CTA). Your entire website should be designed to guide visitors toward this action. For more tips, learn how to create your website's primary call to action.

Step 4: Create an Outline (aka Sitemap)

With your ICP, key benefit, and CTA in mind, it’s time to outline your website. Think of it as a blueprint, showing all the pages you need and how they connect. Here’s a basic structure to get you started:

Homepage: Communicate what you do, who it’s for, and why it matters. Include your key messages and CTA.
About Page: Share your story and build trust with your audience. Include your history, experience, and team bios.
Contact Page: Make it easy for visitors to get in touch. Include a contact form, email address, and phone number.
Other Pages: Depending on your business, you might need pages for Services, Shop, Pricing, FAQs, Careers, Blog, and Resources. Tailor these to your customer’s needs.

Each main page might have subpages. For example, the Services page could include separate sections for each service you offer.

Step 5: Create the Content

Now that you have your sitemap, it’s time to develop the content for each page. Here’s how:

Page Title: Start with a clear, descriptive title for each page.
Copy: Write the text for each page, including headings, lists, bullet points, and supporting paragraphs. Link to other pages where appropriate and include your CTA.
Visual Assets: Plan which images, videos, charts, or infographics you’ll need. Make notes on where these will go on each page.

Pro tip 👉 As you develop your content, consider researching a few keywords to include. Tools like answerthepublic.com and seoreviewtools.com can help you find what people are searching for in your industry. Incorporate these keywords naturally into your headings and paragraphs to improve your search engine rankings.

Step 6: Review and Refine

Once your content is drafted, review and refine it:

Clarity: Make sure your message is clear and easy to understand.
Accuracy: Check for spelling and grammar mistakes.
Feedback: Get input from team members or trusted friends to ensure everything is on point.

Final Thoughts

Creating a website content plan might seem like a big task, but it’s an essential step for launching a successful site. By knowing your audience, defining your key messages, outlining your site structure, creating quality content, and using great visuals, you'll be well on your way to a website that truly represents your business.

Happy planning! If you have any questions or need further assistance, feel free to reach out. We’re here to help!

Cheers to your website success! 🚀