The magic of a web content matrix
Streamline your website and enhance user experience with a web content matrix.
Streamline your website and enhance user experience with a web content matrix.
Author: WG Content
Last updated: 04/29/24
When you think of magic, you may picture a magician pulling a white rabbit out of their hat or making objects disappear. But for healthcare marketers, the real magic lies in the matrix — and we don’t mean the 1999 sci-fi action movie starring Keanu Reeves. We’re talking about a web content matrix, which can transform your website from a cluttered mess into an organized and user-friendly platform. Whether you’re overwhelmed by an impending redesign or tasked with adding a new section to your website, this tool helps streamline the process.
A content matrix serves as a blueprint for your website. It’s a tool that helps you implement content strategy recommendations in the short and long term.
It also helps track or manage the health and maintenance of your content.
A content matrix includes the following components:
Content matrixes don’t come in a one-size-fits-all format. Since healthcare organizations have unique content needs, you need to tailor your matrix to your brand.
Here are five elements to consider when building a content matrix:
Understand your website’s goals. What do you want it to achieve? Align your content matrix with these objectives.
Gather insights from stakeholders. Their input helps shape the matrix and ensures it meets their needs.
Consider the user experience and expectations. What do your visitors want to see? Use this data to inform your matrix.
Conduct a gap analysis to study competitors’ websites. Identify strengths and weaknesses to inform your content strategy.
This is an essential step! Assess your existing content.
What can you reuse, repurpose or retire? A spreadsheet with columns for “keep,” “edit” and “delete” helps organize your findings.
Learn more about content planning. Download the State of Content Planning white paper.
Now that you have insights from interviews, user research and your content audit, it’s time to roll up your sleeves and build your matrix.
Here’s a basic rundown of what it should include:
This matrix will serve as a roadmap for creating and organizing your content. You may find pages that need refreshing. Or you may need to create new pages to fill in the gaps.
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A web content matrix can take many forms, depending on the needs and preferences of your team.
You may prefer a simple spreadsheet format. You can also use project management tools or specialized content planning software.
At WG Content, our preferred format for a web content matrix is a dynamic spreadsheet. This allows us to easily update and track progress on each page.
It also allows for easy collaboration with team members.
Here’s an example of what our web content matrix looks like:
Example of a content matrix spreadsheet. Click to enlarge.
Developing a content matrix is intensive work that starts months before a redesign project. At WG Content, we specialize in content matrixes, content audits and gap analyses.
Whether your site needs a complete overhaul or a refresh, we have the tools to help. Contact us to start your project.
A content matrix is a governance tool that serves as a blueprint for your website. It outlines site-wide navigation, content recommendations and more.
Inputs include goals, stakeholder interviews, site visitor input, competitive analysis and a content audit. These inputs help determine the direction and structure of your web content.
Use insights from interviews, research and your content audit to create a structured matrix that guides content creation and maintenance. Start by identifying top-level categories, then break them into subcategories and specific page topics. Don’t forget to include keywords and a plan for ongoing updates.
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