How do I gather copy for my website?


When we say copy, we’re referring to the words (or text) that make up your website. Sometimes, clients like all the words on their current website, and sometimes they’ll want to write completely new copy. In other cases, it’s a combination of new and old copy.

When we’re pulling website copy from a current website, the easiest way is to copy and paste the current copy into a Google Doc. If we’re writing new copy, we’ll get some information from the client — whether it’s a few questions in a Google Form or a virtual meeting — and then use that information to write copy that showcases the client’s brand and mission.

We like to use a systematic approach when it comes to writing website copy. We create a site map and use that as a starting point, but if you don’t have a site map and you’re creating your own copy, we’d suggest pulling all the copy from your current site into a Google Doc and starting with that.

It’s also important to keep yourself organized along the way — this will make everything easier in the long run! If you’re working with multiple people to gather copy for your website, giving them a deadline of one to two weeks out may help keep things on track for everyone involved.

About Carrie

Carrie Rollwagen is host of the Localist podcast and cofounder of Church Street Coffee & Books. Currently, she works as Vice President of Strategic Planning at Infomedia, a web development company in Birmingham, Alabama. Find the Localist at @thinklocalist on Instagram and follow Carrie at @crollwagen.

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