Forget the chicken and the egg debate, today we’re talking about website design and copy.

When building a website for your equestrian business, both design and copy need careful consideration. But while designers will tell you it’s all about the design, copywriters are adamant that copy is more important!

Juggling the two can be tricky. Does the design of the website come first, so you can write the copy to fit? Or should you write the copy first, and design the site around it?

In an ideal world, designers and copywriters would be working together, allowing both the copy and design to be produced at the same time.

But this is not always possible, and the answer to whether design or copy should be produced first is a frustrating one - it depends!

Design-First Approach

If your copy and design cannot be developed in tandem, a design-first approach is often utilised.

The reason is that this approach allows your website designers to work freely without being restricted by the written word. It also gives copywriters a little more structure. Staring at a blank Word document trying to write copy for a site that doesn’t exist yet can be tricky for even the most experienced of copywriters, and often requires the copywriter to come up with some sort of a design in their heads to build the copy around - which may be very different to what the designers produce!

A design-first strategy allows copywriters to write copy based on the structure and overall feel of the site. Misalignments in tone are less likely, and the copywriter will know exactly how much content actually needs producing, saving time and money on edits later down the line.

If you are using a website template for your equestrian business, the basic design is already there. In this instance, you’ll simply require an equestrian copywriter to put together the copy to fit the design. This method is affordable and time-efficient, and allows the copywriter to align the copy with the existing website template.

However, if you are having your equestrian website built from scratch, there are a couple of issues with the ‘design-first’ approach. The first is that writing copy can take time, and it can be difficult to approve the design without it. It can be hard to fully visualise how the site will look and feel with just ‘lorem ipsum’ placeholders!

There’s also the chance that compromises will have to be made when it comes to copy, in order to fit the words to the structure of the page. If there’s not enough space, you may end up restricted in what you can say. Alternatively, too much space may mean you’ve got to produce ‘filler’ copy to make the design work.

Copy-First Approach

Many agencies choose to use the copy-first approach.

As Jeffrey Zeldman wrote, ‘design in the absence of content isn’t design, it’s decoration’. Content (including copy and images) breathes life into the design, informing users of what your business actually does.

By providing designers with the copy, they have something to work with. They can ensure all the copy is included in their design.

While some designers may argue they don’t have the same creative freedom, many will find designing a website easier when they have clearer limitations. With an established brand identity (more on that later), tone of voice and a rough word count, designers can produce a site that fully aligns with the copy.

Defining your Equine Brand Strategy

What you really need to know is that when it comes to your equestrian business, neither design nor copy should be your first port of call.

Instead, you need to define your brand strategy. That is, creating a narrative, understanding your target audience, setting your core values and diving deep into the strategy of your competitors.

By creating a consistent and coherent brand strategy, both your website designers and your copywriters will be singing from the same hymn sheet. The brand strategy is the foundation for both your website design and your copy, meaning inconsistencies in tone are unlikely.

At EQuerry / CO, we utilise a design-first approach, with a twist! We build our websites with design in mind, but still allow for flexibility post-design. This means there’s no restrictions when it comes to your copy or visuals.

The EQuerry / Co team specialises in designing and building equestrian websites that offer a great user experience and align with your brand values. Get in touch so we can help meet your individual requirements.