From this, they will agree a draft concept for an effective site that focuses on satisfying users and achieving the business objectives. It might have lots of design – it might have very little. It will certainly have content. Minisites with virtually no design can sell very effectively, in the right context. In my dream, the team liaise with each other as the site develops. They will agree the wireframe and the keywords together.
The writer puts the content onto the page, and sees what it looks like. He or she might change headings, paragraph sizes, where words go – text has to be visual too. The designer allows for ideas the writer has. Maybe, for example, separate fields for fact points that don’t fit with the flow of text would be helpful. A web-based project management tool is used so all can see the comments of the others. And so it goes on.
And within this, the writer is of course paid as a key member of the team.
Is this a dream? How many web developers offer copywriting services to their clients? If you don’t, it’s no mystery why they fail to meet your deadines for producing content. Would you expect them to come up with their own designer?

Just a few thoughts from a writer, brought to this page by having a client enthuse about my content yesterday only to have a call today to say stop working while they reconsider who the site is aimed at and how the words work/don’t work with the design already in place…