Ahhh the age old question: Which comes first, copy or design? 

It can be tempting to rush into the pretty stuff first—color palettes! Type suites! Brand photos! Oh my! 

That stuff is really freakin’ important, but if you try to design your site first and then cram the words in after, you’re going to end up with a subpar site that doesn’t convert as well as it could.

Here’s why—

It’s better to write the exact right message without any visual constraints and design around THAT, rather than designing a layout first and trying to make up a message that fits inside it.

Let’s say you come up with the perfect headline: It speaks to your ideal client, is tonally correct, and conveys your expertise. But it’s ten words long and the section you designed it to go in will only fit 8 words. Chances are you’ll be tempted to change the headline, right? 

But…that was the perfect headline. 

Everything in a project goes smoother when the copy informs the design, not the other way around. Plus, it’s a huge load off the designers shoulders to be able to directly insert the finalized copy into the design instead of having to use filler text as a placeholder. 

So, what if you’re planning to work with a web designer in the near future?

Here are a few questions to ask them before booking:

• What are your expectations around the copywriting portion of this project?
  • Do you expect me to write it? Do you have an in-house copywriter?
• Do you have a copywriter you can refer me to?
• What is the timeline and sequencing of both the copywriting and design portions of this project?

When copy comes first, everybody wins. What’s not to love?!