Many website clients like to start a discussion on their future website talking about the content of the site because that’s what they first see when they visit a website. However, the content needs to come only after you identify the goals of the website. For example, you will have different content on a website for prospective customers than you would have on a website for current customers.
With prospective customers, you need to convince them as to why they should become customers in the first place. You need to provide a history of the brand, explain what makes it different from other brands, provide testimonials and have an attractive first-time offer. You don’t need to do these things with existing customers because existing customers already have a relationship with the brand. They also like the brand, which is why they are repeat customers in the first place.
With these customers, you would have different goals. You want them to keep coming back, which means that you need to keep them informed and entertained. You may need a blog with updates about what is happening with the brand or campaigns about new products designed for repeat customers. Such campaigns typically focus on products and their benefits and not the brand itself because loyalty for the brand already exists in the minds of the customers.
Yet another option for a website for existing customers would be to ask them for feedback on existing products and opinions on future products. On such a website, you will most likely need to create survey forms and integrate the website with survey analytics tools or forums where customers can share their ideas and discuss them with each other.
As you can see, the content and the website will be different in each scenario. This is why you should be discussing content with your web development clients only after you’ve identified the purpose of the website and taken first steps towards creating its identity.