HubSpot Website Content Planner Guide

1. Why Content-First Design?

It’s a struggle - how do you know how much content to write if you don’t know what the design looks like? Or, how do you design without the context around the content going on the page? This is a common challenge in the field of web design and development. Not considering content first typically follows one of the following paths:

• The approved design is changed to fit the content
• Content is cut down and shoved into the design “container”
• The project lingers on forever waiting on content

Inbound Design Partners works with many clients and agencies that focus on inbound marketing, that at its core, is based on leading a client through the buyer’s journey with powerful content. We believe content is the core element of converting a potential client into a loyal customer. With this belief, we work with the content-first approach in designing and developing a website.

A content-first design strategy offers many benefits from creating a website plan and architecture focused on converting more website leads to creating a better website design vision that appeals to your target audience.

Benefits of a Content-First Design Approach

Clients choose to visit your site for one reason - to find answers to their problems.

This is true whether your website visitor is in the awareness, consideration or even the decision stage. Website copy is the most important element in providing a great user experience. Design enhances that experience, but the purpose of design is to emphasize the most important content and direct a user down their specific journey.

Your website content, not the design, is the communication between your website and the search engines potential leads use for finding answers. Optimized content is a “beacon” to web crawlers.

Designing a website page without content is like going grocery shopping without a meal plan. Yes, it’s possible, but you may end up spending extra money purchasing a lot of unneeded ingredients and not focusing on your actual needs. Seeing a content plan will allow better design decisions based on the context of the page.

 

2. Buyer Personas

How do you approach a content-first strategy? Think about your conversation with your potential leads.

Create content as though you are speaking directly to them.

• What questions would your potential lead have about your product, service or process?
• What do they need to know that convinces them your product or service addresses their pain points?
• What benefit do the features of your product or service offer that solves their problem?

Starting with the framework of a buyer persona identifies exactly who you are writing for and speeds up the process of content development.

• Helps define the voice and tone of the content to ensure a better connection to your audience
• Helps to determine the type of content your audience needs
• Provides the pain points of your audience so your content will address those points and provide ways for solving the pain.

HubSpot Resources for Buyer Personas

How to Quickly & Easily Create a Buyer Persona [Free Tool]

How to Create Personas

How to Create Detailed Buyer Personas for Your Business [Free Persona Template]

20 Questions to Ask When Creating Buyer Personas [Free Template]

 

3. Features, Advantages & Benefits

Another method for speeding up the content development process and ensure your content is connecting with your audience is understanding the benefits your product or service features provide them. Your content should be directed straight to your potential leads. By charting out each feature to a specific advantage and then to a specific benefit, you can create a more compelling sales message directed straight to your target audience.

• A feature is something your product or service does
• An advantage is how the feature works
• A benefit is how that advantage makes life better for the buyer

Example Features, Advantages and Benefits Chart

3-Step Process

Follow this simple 3-step process and your website copy will almost write itself!

1. Pick out the highest value features of your product or service
2. Describe how the selected features work and what they offer (Advantage)
3. Describe how the advantage helps buyers solve their problem (Benefit)

By taking the time to fill out your features, advantages, and benefits chart, you’ll be able to identify the strongest benefits to your target audience in your website copy and generate the highest conversions.