Web Site Design versus Content – What’s More Important?

Written by Angela Wills

I made my first website in 1999. Back then it was all about content for me. Not written content. My first website was for fun and I posted pictures of bracelets and necklaces I used to make out of beads. At the time I had no idea about proper site structure or super quality website design.

Now I run my own website design services business and have created dozens of websites. I’ve also studied what makes a great website. One of the most common mistakes I’ve seen is people focus entirely on the design and forget about the content or vice versa, they focus on the content and forget about design.

It’s important to have a good balance of great design AND great content for a successful website.

What I Mean By Website Design:

Now when I say design I don’t mean fancy graphics. While fancy graphics do have their place, my idea of design involves the layout of the website.

A website’s design should be laid out kind of like a blueprint for a house. Before you can build the house you need to know the details. You’ll want to find out things like:

how many people will live in the house
what rooms do you need
how many bathrooms do you need
do you want a back deck
will you have a hot tub

That’s why content planning and site design should go hand in hand. Before you create the design of the site you should know the answers to the following questions:

How often will the website be updated?
How many pages will the site have?
Will there be a blog?
What is the purpose of the website?
Who is the target market?
Will you be selling from the website?
Will you have an email signup?

There’s no point in having a beautiful website that doesn’t convert into sales. It’s also pointless to have a site filled with great content that no one can find. Answering the above questions may take some time if you haven’t put a lot of thought into them before. Taking the time to really understand your needs and market will, however, pay off huge in the long run.

Once you know the answer to these questions you can create the content and the design that fits your needs.

All the best in your website design adventure!

Ready for More Profit with Content?

If you'd like to learn to create content that builds your business, simply enter your first name and email address below and click "Subscribe". You'll instantly receive your guide and we'll keep you up-to-date with what's happening at Contentrix, content marketing news and more.