Content is king. But content can be project killer – when you don’t have it.

Let’s pretend we’ve just had a meeting with a new client. They have a fairly successful small business run by two people and they want a website. They don’t have a huge budget, but it’s enough to where we can give them something that’s going to stand out from their online competitors. They have a good grasp of what it’s going to take to make the site successful and it looks like we’re all on the same page. Since this is a new website, and they don’t have any marketing material to go off of, we’re starting from nothing but an idea.

Since we’re using a contract that spells out what’s going to be done and how long each step will take (along with needing client approval for each step), we need to first figure out where the content is going to come from.

Option 1: The Client

The first option is that the client provides all content. I think that’s a huge mistake, given the average small business client isn’t likely to have very much writing or marketing experience, let alone the kind needed to write effective web copy. This is also where the project can die on the table. In my beginning days of freelancing, I recall many times where we were months into a project and we were still waiting for content.

Option 2: A Copywriter

The second option is to bring in a professional copywriter. That’s an ideal situation, I think, but now you’ve added another person into the mix and that means more cost to the client. When you’re dealing with some small businesses with limited budgets, bringing in a copywriter isn’t really an option.

Option 3: The Web Designer

It really comes down to the web designer to be integral in the creation of content. It’s the designer that will know how to write for the web. If the client does have written material ready to go, the designer will need to make it web-ready (the IA stage).

How to Interview a Client

In order to create effective content, you have to know what exactly your client does. Better yet, you have to get inside their heads and really understand how they do things. It’s easy enough to just stick with the standard boilerplate questions like “What does your company do?”, but that won’t make for very interesting reading. So to get your client to really open up, you need to know how to interview them properly.

1. Use a Voice Recorder

If your client has no issues with being recorded, use a voice recorder. There are all sorts of types and brands, and most of them are pretty inexpensive. It’s too hard to write when you’re trying to interview someone in depth. Plus the person you’re talking is likely to hold back because you’re too busy scribbling notes on a pad. If you record the interview, all you have to do is press a button and you can now focus on your client. I’ve done interviews both ways, and I think the difference in recording one vs. taking notes is like night and day.

2. Ask Scenario Questions

Scenario questions can tell you a lot about how a company does business. For example, say your client runs a handyman business. Not a very exciting subject to write about, but it can be done. Instead of just asking about their specific services, ask them a question related to a specific problem, one that their target customers could easily have. After a few of these types of questions you’ll start to really get a grasp of not only what your client does, but how they do it. Then you can use good writing to turn that into good reading.

3. Play Devil’s Advocate

Sometimes it’s not enough to have your client simply tell you why they’re good at what they do. If you play the role of the suspicious or overly critical consumer (or even that of their competitor), you may be surprised at how quickly your client will become a sales guru, giving you all sorts of gold to work with. Of course, do this diplomatically, as you don’t want to appear too critical of your client and risk offending them.

Now what?

You should have all sorts of good content to work with by this point. As for how to make it into web copy, that’s where you just have to know how to write. Copyblogger has tons of information and useful resources on how to write, and you can always consult a copywriter if you’re not comfortable writing copy yourself.

About the Author
Chris a web designer and small business owner in Scottsdale, AZ.

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