Let’s be honest, content is often the bit that gets left until last. A project kicks off, the design team gets cracking, and someone says, “We’ll plug the words in later.”
But here’s the thing: when content and design don’t work together from day one, cracks start to show. Layouts break. Messaging gets squeezed. Projects stall. And suddenly, the team is scrambling to retrofit the words into a design that wasn’t built to hold them.
At Gecko, we approach things a bit differently. For us, a successful website content strategy isn’t something that gets written up at the end - it’s baked in from the start. Because when content and design are part of the same conversation, everything clicks into place: the message, the layout, the user experience, and the result.
That alignment also supports stronger content marketing outcomes, improves search performance, and helps your digital presence scale effectively across all channels, including email newsletters, landing pages, and social media content.
And yes - it’s all part of a joined-up approach to digital marketing that drives results and supports long-term growth.
The problem with “We’ll write it later”
Here’s a scenario we’ve seen one too many times:
We design a clean, modern layout based on a simple content brief - maybe a headline, a few bullet points and an image. Everyone’s happy.
Then, just before launch, we get the real content: five chunky paragraphs, long-form explanations, and a CTA that needs a whole extra section.
The result?
- The layout breaks
- The user gets overwhelmed
- The team scrambles to redesign or rewrite
- The timeline slips, the budget creaks, and nobody’s quite sure what happened
This isn’t about “bad copy”. It’s about mismatched timing. If design and content aren’t aligned from the beginning, we’re always playing catch-up.
That’s why website content planning is one of the most important early steps in the project. We encourage our clients to think about what their site needs to say before deciding how it should look, and how it fits into the wider content plan, including things like landing pages, case studies, blog posts, and content formats for every stage of the funnel.
Why content and design need to work together, not in sequence
When we talk about a content-first approach, we don’t mean finishing all the copy before a designer touches the mouse. We mean:
- Understanding the message before designing the container
- Collaborating between writers and designers at the same time
- Creating structure and flow around real target audience needs and business goals
This isn’t just better for users, it makes your whole team more efficient, especially when you’re juggling multiple content types and content assets across the site. It also plays a vital role in improving brand awareness and ensuring consistency in brand voice, whether you're creating content for your site or pushing out campaigns across a social media platform.
A big part of this is clarity around your content creation strategy - understanding what needs to be produced, why it matters, and how each piece contributes to your content lifecycle. When that’s locked in, your team can move faster and more confidently, without constantly looping back to rewrite or redesign.
1. Real content, not lorem ipsum
Wherever possible, we work with real or realistic content right from the wireframe stage. That might be early drafts from your team, sample messaging from your brand guidelines, or quick prototypes we write ourselves.
The point isn’t perfection - it’s context. Seeing the actual content shape gives the design team what they need to make better decisions. It’s also a great way to pressure-test your message early and spot what’s missing from your content creation strategy or content workflows.
Tools like a content calendar and Google Analytics can also provide insight into what your users are engaging with, and what needs to be prioritised in terms of messaging and structure.
2. Design and content are part of the same sprint
In a content-led project, designers and writers don’t work in silos. There’s no hand-off moment where the design is “done” and the copy just fills in the gaps.
Instead, we bring both disciplines into the room from the start, creating a shared content and UX strategy that ties everything together. What do users need to know at this point in the customer journey? What should they do next? How can the layout support that?
It’s not a ping-pong match. It’s co-creation.
This approach also supports stronger conversion rates, because both layout and message are shaped around what your ideal customer needs to see to take action. This is especially important when you're thinking about interactive content, video content, or user-generated content that may evolve post-launch.
These considerations also inform how you structure your content across formats - from pillar pages to short-form blog posts, and how those elements connect through content clusters that support organic visibility and lead generation.
3. Flexible layouts for real-world messaging
The web isn’t neat and tidy. Some sections need one line. Others need five. A truly flexible design system allows for that variation, without breaking.
So we don’t just build fixed templates with tight character counts. We design adaptable blocks that give your content room to breathe, change, and grow. That way, whether your team is writing short headlines or long-form content marketing pieces like white papers or pillar pages, the page still works, visually and functionally.
This approach is especially powerful when aligned with UX copywriting, where microcopy, calls to action, and page flow are part of a seamless narrative experience. It also plays a key role in a successful digital content strategy, particularly when working within structured content systems or planning for eventual content migration into a headless CMS or modern content management system.
Empathy + objective = better outcomes
Good websites don’t just look good - they communicate clearly. And to do that, you need two things:
- Empathy for the audience: Who are they? What do they need? What are they thinking or feeling when they land on the page?
- Clarity of objective: What’s the one thing you want them to do? Enquire? Buy? Subscribe? Share?
When both content and design are shaped around that understanding, the result is powerful. Messaging and visuals reinforce each other. The buyer’s journey flows. And your business goals get met more consistently.
This is where a well-thought-out content strategy makes all the difference - whether you’re creating a single landing page, building out content clusters, developing a full website information architecture, or driving long-term lead generation through a connected ecosystem of blog posts, social media marketing, and email campaigns.
Iteration is part of the process
Here’s a little secret: your first draft probably won’t be the final one. And that’s okay.
In fact, it’s a sign the process is working. Because when content and design are developed together, it creates space for healthy iteration. You learn what works. You refine as you go. You adjust the copy to suit the layout, and vice versa.
The trick is to stay holistic: don’t treat content or design in isolation. Revisit both as the project develops, keeping your content-first approach front and centre - whether you're managing it all in a traditional CMS, exploring a headless CMS setup, or planning stakeholder interviews for deeper audience personas and content validation.
What to expect when you work with us
If you’ve always done things the old way - design first, content later - working with Gecko might feel a little different.
We’ll ask about your messaging early. We’ll want to know what you want users to do on each page. We’ll involve your content people from the start. And we’ll probably challenge the idea that “we’ll write it once the designs are signed off.”
But that’s because we’ve seen how well it works. When you align content and design from the very beginning, your site launches faster, performs better, and supports a long-term content lifecycle that keeps your digital marketing efforts on track. And with the right tools in place - from content inventory spreadsheets to Google Search Console and conversion tracking - you’ll have the insights you need to improve and iterate long after launch.
Start with the message. Build with purpose.
Whether you’re rethinking your website planning, launching a new campaign, or starting a full redesign, our advice is simple:
Don’t wait to sort the content later.
Build a clear website content strategy from day one, and bring your design team into the conversation early.
You’ll thank yourself later.
Ready to rethink your content and design process?
We work with ambitious brands across the UK who want to build smarter, more strategic websites. If you’re tired of last-minute content chaos, we’d love to help - Let’s chat.