Create a practical website content calendar
A website content calendar is a simple record of what needs checking, when and by whom. It can be a short table rather than a publishing programme. The aim is accurate, useful information for customers, not a requirement to create a new article every week.
Before you start
- List regular business changes such as hours, menus, availability or service pricing.
- Identify the person who can approve each type of information.
What to do
Begin with existing pages
Record the homepage, contact page, menu or main service pages and any downloadable material. Add what makes each time-sensitive. A café may need a holiday-hours check before a bank holiday, while a tradesperson may need to remove an expired accreditation claim promptly.
Tie updates to actual events
Set review dates around real launches, seasonal changes or planned closures. Include enough preparation time to obtain approved content. A review date is not an instruction to publish automatically; it is a reminder to check whether a change is needed and ready.
Give each task an owner and outcome
Use columns for page, change, source of truth, approver and completion evidence. State the required result, such as the new menu and PDF match. That makes it easier to hand a small edit to a colleague or provider without a long conversation.
Add new content only for a useful question
Keep ideas from genuine customer enquiries, but check whether an existing page can answer them first. A complete practical explanation is more valuable than several thin variations. After publication, record the live URL and a suitable trigger for reviewing technical or time-sensitive advice.
What to check
- Every scheduled item has a business reason and an accountable approver.
- Old content receives attention alongside new ideas.
- Completion means checking the public result, not only saving an editor draft.
Sources and further reading
Platform features can change. Check the provider’s current guidance before changing a live service.