How to get website content from clients without chasing them

Why content gets stuck

A request like "send us your About text" feels small to the studio and huge to the client. They do not know how long it should be, what to include, or whether their draft is good enough, so they put it off. Missing deadlines make it worse: without a date, content always loses to paying work.

1. Agree on dates at kickoff

Put content in the project plan like any other milestone. Give the client one due date for everything, or dates per section if the site is large. Explain what happens to the launch date if content is late, so the date means something.

2. Ask one clear question at a time

Break the site into small requests. "What do you do and who do you help?" is easier to answer than "write your home page". Add a short hint and an example for each question, and label examples clearly as examples. The website content checklist lists what to ask for.

3. Give one place for everything

Copy in email, photos in a chat app and the logo on a USB stick is how things get lost. One link per project, where the client can add text and files at their own pace, keeps everything together and shows both sides what is missing.

4. Let drafts be drafts

Clients write more when they can save a half-finished answer and come back later. Ask them to mark each item as done when they are happy with it, so you know what is ready to review.

5. Review item by item

Approve what is ready and ask for specific changes on what is not. "Please add your opening hours" is actionable; "the content needs work" is not. Specific feedback on one item gets a faster answer than a list of notes in an email.

6. Remind about what is missing, not everything

A weekly note that lists only the missing items is short, clear and easy to act on. Let clients pause reminders when they are travelling or busy, and they will trust the reminders more.

7. Help them find the words

Some clients know their business well but struggle to write. Explaining the question in plain language, or helping them turn their facts into a short answer, unblocks them. Their facts should stay theirs: never invent claims, prices or reviews for them.

A simple timeline

For a typical five-page small-business site:

1. Kickoff: agree on goals, pages and the content due date
2. Day 1: send the content link with questions and examples
3. Week 1: approve what is ready and request specific changes
4. Every week: a short reminder listing only the missing items
5. Due date: build with approved content, and agree on placeholders for anything still missing

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