Content Driven Websites - Step 2

Organize your Content

Now that you have set your goals, gather your available content, and start putting it into a website editing software, which allows you to easily organize the content within the website.

Some point to keep in mind:

• If you have an existing website, move the whole of the website over. It is a straight-forward operation to cut and paste all the pages in the existing format (without having to decide what to save and what to throw out). 
• Create a website structure that tells the story based on the goals of the website
  
• Move pages into the new structure
• Add additional content to the website in the appropriate place
  
• Add empty pages as a place-holder for content that needs to be added
• Create content to be added
  
• Add images, graphs, charts, videos as appropriate to compliment the text
  

Review the website from time to time. Often you can find interesting new perspectives and insight on how the website can be organized, possibly with better ways of achieving your goals or delivering a clearer message. Ask the following questions:

• Does the content match the plan? Are we improving on the plan?
  
• What are the weak areas that need work?
  
• Which areas should be trimmed?
  
• Has a certain aspect of the site emerged that should be emphasized?
  
• Is there a better way or organizing the website, based on what we have put up?

You may consider hiring a writer to help you with the content creation process. It is good to have someone with an outside perspective to write about what you do. Also, if stock photos are not sufficient for your website, a photographer or graphic designer can help.

Once you are satisfied with the content and the flow, it’s turned over to the designers to support the goals and content and bring the content to life.