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What kind of place is this anyway?

That's one of the first questions I ask myself when asked to do any work on a web site.

What do I mean by that phrase?

In my mind I categorize a site. I try to place it within some kind of broad, recognized model.

I might think:

- This is a regular online store.

- This is a formal information site, with an archive of content.

- This is a fairly static services-for-sale site, like a realtor's site or a consultant's site etc.

- This is an online store, or information site, or services-for-sale site, but with a difference. (Tightly niched or with a particular attitude.)

And so on.

But over the last year or so I have had to broaden my list of categories to include descriptions like:

- This is a visitor-driven online store. (Tons of buyer feedback and ratings etc.)

- This is an information site which is driven by its readers. (Wikis, customer-generated content, comment fields.)

- This is a services-for-sale site that invites reader participation.

And in a couple more years, I imagine I'll be broadening these rough categories even more.

Why do I try to get a sense of what kind of "place" each site represents?

Because it's going to have a big impact on how I write for it.

Every site has its own character. It has a feel that is created both by the site's design and its text.

After reading a few pages, you get a pretty good idea of how you should be writing if you want your new copy or content to fit in with what is already there.

And what kind of place could or should this be?

As the web evolves and becomes more interactive, I find myself being asked to write for sites which are stuck somewhere in the late 1990's.

So instead of simply getting a feel for the site and then writing copy that matches, I raise my hand and suggest to the client that its time to start creating a different kind of place.

Maybe this will involve adding elements that invite visitor interaction and contributions.

Or maybe I'll feel that the audience of the site has evolved over recent years, and it's time to start interacting with them in a different way.

Or maybe the market has changed, and it's time to shift the focus of the site.

I'm working right now on a project which fits into this last category. The site is focused on its market as if it were still 1999.

The market has changed. As have the scope and priorities of its customers.

What I'm trying to say...

For writers and copywriters it's sometimes tempting simply to follow the brief and start writing. And getting a sense of place is a good place to start when doing that.

But there is another service we can offer our clients.

We can help our clients evolve their sites, so they become better matched to the constantly changing needs and demands of their audiences.

In other words, we can help our clients create a better place for their customers.

Writing For the Web #1

7 Challenges every Writer and Copywriter faces when writing for the Web

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