Most websites are late because the words are late. A content plan decides what each page says, who supplies it and in what order, before design or build begins.
A website content plan lists every page, what it must tell the reader, who writes it and when it is reviewed. Write the main offer pages first, then the contact path, proof and answers to common questions, and leave the home page and articles until later. The content comes from what you know about your customers, not from filling in a template.
What a website content plan is
A website content plan is a working document that lists every page of the site, what each page must tell the reader, what evidence it needs, who writes it, who approves it and when it will be checked again. It is a spreadsheet, not a strategy deck.
It covers a different job from a content marketing plan, which schedules articles and posts over months to attract visitors. A website content plan covers the pages that make up the site itself. The guide to what a startup website needs first lists which pages to build. This guide covers what goes on them and in what order to write it. If the site is already live and you want to judge what is there, use the website content audit guide instead.
What content a business website needs
Think in jobs rather than pages. A visitor arrives with a question and leaves when it is answered or when patience runs out. Six kinds of content cover most of what a business site has to do.
| Job | The visitor's question | Where it usually sits |
|---|---|---|
| Say what you offer | What is this, and is it for me? | Home page and offer pages |
| Explain how it works | What happens if I go ahead? | Offer pages and a process section |
| Prove it | Why should I believe you? | Case studies, real reviews, photographs of your work, named people |
| Answer doubts | What about cost, risk, time and fit? | Offer pages and an FAQ section |
| Show the next step | How do I contact you or buy? | Contact page, forms and a button on every page |
| Cover the rules | What are your terms, and how is my data used? | Policy pages linked from the footer |
Every sentence on a page should serve one of these jobs. If a sentence serves none, it is probably filler, and cutting it makes the page easier to use.
Website content plan: what to write first
Write in the order that unblocks decisions, not in the order of the menu. This sequence suits most small business sites.
- One plain sentence about what you offer, who it is for and where. Every other page depends on it, so test it on someone outside the business.
- Your main offer pages. This is where visitors decide, so these come before the About page. Start with the one that brings the most enquiries or income.
- The contact page and the enquiry or checkout path, including what happens after someone gets in touch.
- Proof: case studies, real reviews, photographs of your own work and the names of the people involved. Ask for permission now, not at launch.
- An FAQ section built from the questions customers really ask, placed on the pages where those questions arise.
- The home page. Write it after the offer pages, because it summarises them. Written first, it tends to fill up with vague claims.
- The About page and the policies. Policy pages may need advice from a lawyer or an accountant, so ask for that advice early even if you write the pages late.
- Articles, once the pages above are done and you can keep publishing.
How to plan the content of a single page
Before writing a page, answer these in a few lines. The result is a page brief, and it stops the writer from wandering.
- Who is the reader, and what question did they have when they arrived?
- What one action should they take next?
- Which facts must appear: what is included, who it is for, what it depends on and what you do not do?
- What proof supports the claims, and who has agreed to it being shown?
- What doubts will the reader have, and where on the page are they answered?
- What would a customer type into Google to find this page, and does the headline say it plainly?
Writing down what you do not do feels odd, but it saves time on both sides. It filters out enquiries that would never lead to work.
Where the content comes from
Most of the material already exists inside the business. It is scattered and unwritten. Gather it before writing a word.
- Emails, messages and call notes where customers asked questions. Their wording is better than yours.
- Proposals, quotations and brochures you have already written.
- A conversation with the person who delivers the work, recorded with their permission.
- Your own photographs and documents from real jobs.
- If the site already exists, the searches that bring people to it, shown in Search Console.
The facts come from the business. A writer or a developer can shape the words but cannot invent the details, and invented details are what make a site sound like every other site.
How much text each page needs
Enough to answer the reader's questions, and no more. Google's guidance on helpful content asks if you are writing to a particular word count because you have heard that Google prefers one, and the answer it gives is no. Length follows the job of the page.
- A contact page can be short: how to reach you, where you are and when you reply.
- An offer page usually needs more: what it is, who it is for, what is included, how it works, what it depends on and the common questions.
- An article is as long as its question needs.
A page is too short if a visitor leaves without the answer, and too long if the answer is buried. Put the answer near the top, then support it. Do not copy the same text across pages and change a place name or a product name. Each page should say something the others do not.
Who should write the website content
The best arrangement is a split of roles.
- The owner or a senior person supplies the facts and the proof, and gives final approval.
- A writer, in-house or outside, turns those into clear pages. A good writer keeps asking questions until the details are specific.
- The developer or designer fits the words into the layout and says early if a page needs a different structure.
Avoid leaving the words to the developer at the end. Placeholder text that was meant to be replaced is one of the commonest reasons a launch slips, and a layout designed around dummy text often needs rework when the real wording turns out longer or shorter. If you hire a team to build the site, agree in the brief who writes what. The website development service page describes the sites Liftup builds.
If you use a writing tool for drafts, treat its output as unchecked material. Someone who knows the business must verify every fact and claim before it goes live.
How often to update website content
Update when the facts change, and check on a schedule so you catch changes that nobody told the website about. Give each page one named owner.
- Change a page straight away when an offer, a service area, contact details, opening times or a policy changes.
- Re-read the pages that bring enquiries at least twice a year, and ask whether every statement is still true.
- Review the whole site once a year using the method in the content audit guide.
Do not edit pages only to look fresh. Google's guidance on helpful content lists changing the date of a page when the content has not substantially changed as a sign of content made for search engines first. Change the date shown on a page only when you changed the page in a way a reader would notice.
A content plan sheet you can copy
Use one row for each page. A spreadsheet is enough, and the examples below are invented.
| Page | Reader's question | Action wanted | Facts and proof needed | Writer and approver | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Main offer page | Is this the right service for my problem? | Request a quote | What is included, who it is for, real examples with permission | Owner supplies, writer drafts, owner approves | Facts being gathered |
| Contact page | How do I reach you, and what happens next? | Send an enquiry | Email, phone, address and what the reply process is | Owner writes and approves | Drafted |
| FAQ section | Will it suit me, and what are the limits? | Continue to an enquiry | Real questions from emails and calls | Writer drafts, owner approves | Not started |
Add columns for the next review date and the page's address once the structure is settled.
Mistakes that stall a content plan
- Waiting for perfect copy. A plain, accurate page that is published beats a polished one that sits in a folder.
- Writing about the business instead of for the reader. Replace a line such as we are passionate about quality with what you do and how a customer can judge it.
- Copying a competitor's text. It is someone else's work, it will not describe your business, and it leaves you with nothing of your own to say.
- Approval by a large committee. Name one approver for each page.
- Planning the words and forgetting the images, forms and downloads that go with them.
Questions and answers
What content does a business website need?
It needs content that says what you offer and who it is for, explains how it works, gives proof, answers common doubts, shows how to get in touch and covers your policies. Which pages carry those depends on the business, and a small site can do all of it on a handful of pages.
Who should write the website content?
The owner or a senior person should supply the facts, the proof and the approval. A writer can turn them into clear pages, and the developer fits them into the design. Leaving the words to the developer at the end is a common cause of delay.
How much text does each page need?
There is no fixed amount. Google says it has no preferred word count, so write until the page has answered the reader's questions and then stop. A contact page can be short, and an offer page usually needs more.
How often should I update the content?
Update a page whenever the facts change, and re-read the pages that bring enquiries at least twice a year. Review the whole site once a year. Changing dates or wording only to look fresh does not help.
What should I write first?
Start with one plain sentence describing your offer, then the main offer page that brings the most work. Next come the contact path and the proof. Write the home page after the offer pages, because it summarises them.
Can I reuse text from a supplier or a competitor?
Not word for word. A competitor's text is their work, and a supplier's description may be used by every other seller. Ask permission where you need to use supplied text, and add what only your business can say.
Should I plan the content before the design?
Yes, at least the page list, the main message of each page and the key facts. A design built around dummy text often has to change when the real wording arrives, which adds time and cost.