This is the process of determining what content already exists and its condition. Is it out-of-date, can it be refreshed, does it need to be rewritten, or is it easier to just junk it and start over?

Start by answering some basic questions.

To accurately assess existing resources, you’ll need to start by answering these basic questions:

  • Has our company or organization changed?
  • Has our product or service changed?
  • Has the market and/or competition changed?
  • Has our target audience and/or its needs changed?

You may come up with additional questions of your own, based on your specific industry, application and marketplace.

Keep in mind that content is more than just the information you put into your website. Content includes ALL material used to promote your company, products, and services – including printed sales literature, PowerPoint and other presentations, trade show graphics, photographic files, and technical support literature such as white papers. Even if your primary objective is developing a new website or simply revising an existing one, all of these “analog” ancillary materials are informational resources that can be used to create digital web content.