Content Last: A Strategy for Success or Failure?

Brian McKeiver

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We’ve all heard

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The Fundamental Issue

Most organizations think the site can be built first, and then when ready, content can be slammed

in at the end.

It just can’t be that hard right?

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Expectations…

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…Magic happens…

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Award Winning

Virgin America: Best User

Experience

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RWE #1 Grids• Design looks

great right?

• Nice stacked columns

• Uniform / Symmetrical

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Real Content Happens• Too much / too

little text

• Missing icons

• Incorrect height

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RWE #2 - Articles• Reading Time

• Audio Summary

• Multiple Tags

• Nice long headline

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There’s a Bug!• Why wasn’t the design

followed?

• Way too much white space

• Too many tags

• Where is the Audio summary?

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What About Social?

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Fail

Open Graph doesn’t like a 302 redirect

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The Solution

• When matters

• How matters

• And of course Quality matters

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Have a Plan up Front

• Before the Design phase starts, your content work starts.

• Use real content always in all phases of your projects

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Schedule Content Creation

It helps to have real content from many perspectives:• Developers• Designers• PM, QA, Stakeholders

We tell our clients we need 3 real pieces of content

before a sprint starts

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EcommerceScenario

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0 2

Project Planning

Sprint 2 - Product Category Landing

3 Sample Categories3 Sample Products All Categories

All Products

Sample ScheduleSprint 1 - Product Detail

1

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Content Definition

“Does my project really need this?”

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Content Inventory

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Structured Data for Social

• Not an after thought

• Use Smart Defaults

• Make it smart not stupid

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Use a Content Inventory

Set due dates on content, otherwise it will not happen

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Who winsContent First• Scheduled• Helps entire project

team stay on the same page

• Avoids project delays• Thoughtful content

hierarchy / relationship

Content Last• Causes development re-work• Last minute• Work effort always under

estimated• Causes delays• Adds un-needed stress• Meta tags normally missed• Social is an after thought

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One last thing to think about

Content is part of the experience we deliver - It’s not separate. So why wait till the end?

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Questions?

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Brian McKeiverCo-Owner, BizStreamPhone: (616) 481-1631

Email: bmckeiver@bizstream.com

@mcbeev

www.linkedin.com/in/brianmckeiver

www.mcbeev.com