Content Creation
Write and edit your content, without the distractions of images or design.
Proto Content Site
Now, let’s get to work! You know everything there is to know about web content! Let’s use that knowledge to start creating. Next, you will be entering all of your copy into a simplified WordPress site, which we’ll refer to as your Proto Content site.
What is Proto?
You’ll enter your copy into a simplified WordPress site we’ll refer to as your Proto site. Proto is a “prototype” workspace for drafting, editing, and organizing content before it’s migrated to your new website. At this stage, focus only on the text — there’s no need to add images, videos, or worry about formatting content into specific modules.
Once content is finalized, Asher will migrate it to the staging site through an automated process near the end of the project.
Here’s the content process at a high-level:
1. Proto
2. Migration
Move over to Staging
Kick up your feet for a bit while Asher takes care of migration!
3. Staging Site
Content Enhancement/Formatting
Use the modules on the staging site to make your written content visually appealing.
Here’s the content process with more detail:
This is what content looks like in Proto, before any images, icons, or design is applied.
1. Content Creation in Proto
Think of Proto as your content workspace. Proto serves as a “prototype” of your new website content. This is where you’ll write, edit, and organize the text for your new website pages.
Use Proto to:
- Add new content
- Edit or rewrite existing content
- Review current content before it moves to the new site
Important:
- Don’t worry about formatting, layout, or visuals at this stage
- No need to add images, videos, buttons, or icons yet
- Just focus on the written content for each page
This is what content may look like when it's migrated over to the staging site, before any formatting or enhancement.
2. Migration to the Staging Site
Once your content in Proto is complete, Asher will move (migrate) it to the staging version of your new site. The staging site is where we are developing your new site before it is published.
- This is an automated transfer, so what you wrote in Proto will appear on the staging site, including your Yoast SEO meta descriptions.
- The content will appear as plain text only — no formatting, layout, or design will be applied yet
- After the migration and once development is complete, you will receive WordPress and Module training so that you can move on to the next step; Content Enhancement/Formatting.
This is showing a finished page on the staging site, after modules have been used to enhance and format the content.
3. Content Enhancement/Formatting
This step happens near the end of the project, after WordPress/Module training, and takes place on the staging site once the modules are developed. After your Proto content has been migrated to the staging site, this is where you will:
- Format the content into the correct page layouts and design modules
- Add images, video, icons, buttons, etc.
- Refine the look and feel so each page is polished and engaging
- Depending on what was agreed upon in the Estimate / Scope of Work, Asher may also assist with this step. If you’re not sure, ask us!
Pages vs Posts
What’s the difference?
Page
Key content (Home, About, Contact). Usually “evergreen” — while the words on the Page might be revised over time, the Page itself is always in the same place on the site and receiving steady traffic.
Post
Other content (news articles, blog posts, etc). A Post’s importance is usually (but not always) based on recency, with older Posts being pushed down in the order and receiving almost no traffic. Which means Posts are almost always less important than Pages.
The best practices we’ve discussed today apply to all content, whether a Page or a Post. But we expect there’s a difference in how you’ll be handling these content types:
Migration
Page
Being edited, rewritten, or at least reviewed before being migrated to the new site. Do that revisions work and enter the final content in Proto!
Post
Being migrated as is, unless your current posts are files such as PDFs (Press Releases for example).
Post content will be migrated automatically near the end of the project, after you tell us where each Post or section should go. We’ll review and fix any issues after the initial migration.
New Posts should follow content workshop guidelines, but updating older Posts isn’t required before launch and can be handled post-launch if desired.
Next Steps:
- Asher will create blank pages in Proto.
- Client will rewrite, create, edit content, and add new pages in Proto.
- Once content is finalized, Asher will migrate Proto to the development staging site. Once Proto content is migrated, it will become obsolete and no new edits should be made in Proto, as it will not be migrated to the staging site.
- Once development is done, or nearly done, Client gets WordPress & Module training from Asher.
- Depending on what is outlined in the Estimate, Asher may format and refine content on the staging site up to a certain amount of key pages, placing it into the appropriate modules. Client may handle the rest of the pages.
- Asher will review the content entry before the site launch to check for any accessibility or user-flow issues.
Your Proto Resources:
Asher will email you your Proto link and also link it on your Resource Hub.
More details and instructions on how the Proto Site works are built into its Read Me page. Please take the time to read the instructions on that page.
Note: You must be logged into WordPress to view the Edit / Admin view. Asher will provide WordPress credentials.