Take a look at this picture!
Chimney Rock, Idaho

Fofex Content Design

Frequently Asked Questions

What is content design?

In a nutshell, content design is a combination of three core skills:

  • Web Content Writing
  • Information Architecture
  • Content Strategy

A web content writer knows that people read a web page differently from a book. Word choice, sentence length, formatting, and organization are all affected. To achieve their maximum effect, words that worked in print need to be rewritten for the web.

Information architecture tries to guarantee that each visitor easily finds the information they're seeking. This involves user needs analysis, which discovers what different visitors want, as well as site structure and navigation.

Content strategy focuses on value to the site owner. Strategically selected content has a positive effect on search engine placement, site credibility, visitor loyalty, and branding. It can maximize return by developing content with a long shelf life and low maintenance costs.

Do we really need your services?

No, but someone on you team needs to do what Fofex offers. Otherwise you won't get the results you want.

The Internet is not a magazine, nor is it a piece of mail. It's a medium where potential customers come to you. In this way the web is highly targeted, but also very competitive. You need to make sure that visitors find what they're looking for or they'll be gone — first back to Google, and then to your competitor's site. Site content is critical to success.

Why can't my web developer do this?

Maybe she can. Many graphic artists and programmers — the two professions that provide the majority of web developers — are excellent writers. But not all. Graphic design is a skill in and of itself. The same is true of programming in HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and the various database languages. And it's true of content design, also.

So you should ask your developer. Chances are she'll remind you that the responsibility for site content rests squarely on your shoulders.

Can you fix a broken website?

A broken website can be fixed, but you need to go about it correctly. Most importantly, you need to pay attention to complaints. Ask questions and take careful note of specific concerns. Negative feedback about your website is a sign of a disconnect with your visitors, and every person who goes to the effort of complaining represents many more who didn't bother.

If your problem is not that visitors click away, but that they don't find you in the first place, you need to look into SEO — search engine optimization. Research the keywords that surfers actually use, then rewrite your site content using those terms. There is, of course, a lot more to SEO than this, but including the words your prospective customers actually use in their searches is vital to success.

The day-to-day work of running a business makes it hard to see yourself as you appear from the outside. Someone who's not on your team — but who is on your side — needs to examine your site in detail. That's called a website analysis.

We're having a website made. When should we ask for your input?

We can participate at any stage of development, but it's most cost-effective — and generally gives the best results — if we're included from the beginning. Then we can work on the information architecture while your designer is creating the basic layout, before any actual pages are generated.

Once the structure of your site is known, we can provide an accurate summary of the site content you need, including pointers on how it should be written. This is also the perfect time to consider strategic content — well before it's time to add the text.

Beginning early is more efficient that waiting to think about site content until it's needed, and can shorten your project significantly.

My Client said they had copy, but they don't. What can I do?

You've been working hard, and the new website looks great. Your client is anxious to go live. But there's a problem: every page is filled with lorem ipsum text! You were promised copy, but what your client finally gave you isn't enough for a single page. And it's written wrong, too. You can write, yes, but that wasn't part of the deal, and you have other clients waiting.

A content audit would provide your client with a summary of the copy they need to populate their new website, with enough detail to serve as a guide to what to say and how to say it. Content strategy would point out ways to maximize return and reinforce branding. Web content writing would put it all together for them in a timely manner, leaving both you and your client free to get on with the work you're good at.

Will you work with our current designer?

Yes, of course. Content design is a specialized field, as are graphic arts and website programming. They complement each other. Professionals want the best results for their clients, and they also like to concentrate on what they do best. There 's no conflict.

Privacy Notice | Site Map | Last Updated 27 April 2016 | © Fofex | | Contact Webmaster
Fofex Content Design | P.O. Box 213 | Sandpoint ID 83864 | USA | 208.304.9064




Trestle Point & Pearl Island

Back to the top