Design signed off, development done, still no copy
The homepage and templates were signed off weeks ago. The developer has built the site with placeholder text. The client said they would write the About page, the service pages and the team bios themselves, and send photos from a recent shoot. So far they have sent the About page as a Word document, three photos in an email, and a note that the MD wants to review everything before it goes to the agency.
The project manager sends a polite chase every week. Each time the client replies with a few more pieces, in a different format, sometimes with a new version of something already sent. The project sits in the "waiting on client" column, the final invoice waits with it, and the developer moves on to other work and has to be reintroduced later.
Why content is always the last thing in
- Clients underestimate how long writing their own copy takes, and it competes with their day job.
- The request is vague, such as "please send your content", so the client does not know where to start.
- Nobody at the client owns the job of gathering content from colleagues.
- Content arrives by email, WeTransfer, Google Drive and USB stick, and the agency has to work out what is new.
- The client cannot see what is still missing, so they feel they have sent everything.
Content is the part of the project that depends entirely on the client, and it is the part with the least structure.
What waiting costs the studio
Projects run months past their planned launch. Final payments tied to launch are delayed, which hurts cash flow for a small studio. Developers are pulled back into projects they have forgotten. The client, frustrated that the site is not live, can start to blame the agency, even though the agency is waiting on them.
The content portal we build
- The sitemap from your project is turned into a content checklist: each page with its sections, required copy, images, and any items like forms, testimonials or downloads.
- Each item has a clear request with guidance, such as word count range, image size and an example from a similar site.
- The client uploads or types each item directly against the page it belongs to, with the ability to assign items to colleagues at their company.
- Everything submitted is versioned. If the client sends a new version, the old one is kept and the change is shown.
- The client sees a progress view per page, so it is obvious what is still missing.
- Reminders go out on a schedule you set, naming the specific items outstanding and who they were assigned to.
- Your project manager sees every live project's content status on one screen, and completed pages can be pushed into the WordPress build through its API.
| Content item | What the client sees |
|---|---|
| Page copy | Section by section, with word count guidance |
| Images | Size and format required, upload per slot |
| Team bios | One form per person, assignable to them |
| Legal pages | Flagged as needing their own adviser's text |
| Product or service data | A template to fill, or a spreadsheet upload |
The portal does not write the client's copy for them. If you offer copywriting, it shows exactly which pages need it, which makes a sensible upsell conversation.
A project that gets its content
At kick-off the client receives the portal link with every page listed. The marketing manager assigns the team bios to each person and the service pages to the heads of department. The progress bar moves every week. When the project manager chases, it is for four named items, not "your content". Pages marked complete flow into the build, and launch is planned around a real content date.
Are your projects stuck on content?
- Projects sit in "waiting on client" for longer than any other stage.
- Content arrives in pieces by email and file transfer.
- Clients believe they have sent everything when they have not.
- Final invoices are delayed because launch is delayed.
- Developers are regularly pulled back into old projects.