Why website projects slow down when copy isn’t ready (and it’s not a client problem)
If you run a website studio or agency, there’s a very good chance you’ve lived this scenario.
The project kicks off well.
The client’s excited.
Design concepts are flowing.
Timelines look reasonable.
Then you hit that ghosting patch.
Wireframes stall.
Design decisions feel… guessy.
You’re waiting on the “final copy” that was apparently “basically done”.
And suddenly, the whole project slows to a crawl - or full stop.
This isn’t a bad client problem. And it’s not a bad agency problem either.
It’s a structural one. And it shows up over and over again in website projects.
As a website copywriter who works alongside design studios and agencies, I see this happen all the time.
So, let’s talk about why it happens, what it costs everyone involved, and the process I use to help you keep website projects on track.
What “we’ll do the copy later” usually means
When clients say the copy will be done later, they’re rarely being difficult.
What they usually mean is:
The words exist somewhere… just not in one place.
They’ve been meaning to rewrite it but haven’t had the headspace.
They’re not confident saying things the “right” way.
They didn’t realise how much thinking was actually involved.
Writing about your own business is surprisingly hard. It brings up doubt, overthinking, and a lot of second-guessing. So it gets pushed down the list until it feels heavy.
From the client’s side, “later” feels reasonable.
From the agency side, it’s a red flag. You’ll more than likely be waiting on that copy this time next year, with invoices to pay and a wonderful site to launch.
Where projects actually slow down when copy is missing
The slowdown doesn’t usually happen all at once. It shows up in small, frustrating ways.
Wireframes stall because no one can agree on what goes where.
Design takes longer because layouts are guessing at content length and emphasis.
Builds pause because pages can’t be signed off with placeholders.
No one’s doing anything wrong. But everything takes longer.
And the more time that passes, the harder it feels to restart momentum.
The quiet cost agencies carry when copy is delayed
This is the part that often goes unsaid.
When website copy is late, agencies end up carrying the weight.
Project managers chase content instead of managing flow.
Designers context-switch and lose creative rhythm.
Timelines stretch, even when the original scope hasn’t changed.
Margins quietly erode because projects drag on longer than planned.
It’s not dramatic. It’s just draining.
And because it’s so common, many teams start to accept it as “just how website projects go”.
It doesn’t have to be.
Why this also stresses clients out (even if they caused the delay)
Here’s the thing most agencies don’t see clearly.
Clients don’t delay providing the website copy because they don’t care. They delay it because they feel stuck.
They know the website matters.
They know the words matter.
They don’t want to get it wrong.
They’re too busy working on their business to write the copy.
The longer the delay goes on, the worse it feels to jump back in. So avoidance creeps in. Then guilt. Then anxiety about holding the project up.
By the time they resurface with rushed copy, everyone’s already a bit tense.
This is why copy delays quietly damage the overall project experience, even if the final site looks great.
Why providing your own copy will never get your client the ROI they’re looking for
Your client may see providing their own copy as a way of saving money on their website investment.
But saving money here will cost them in the long run.
Why? Because your client isn’t familiar with what it takes to write website copy that connects, engages and converts.
Website copy that gets found, gets read and gets clicks is driven by
Neuromarketing and psychology.
User experience knowledge.
SEO and AI search experience.
It’s a full time job, not something you can copy and paste from ChatGPT. So, as soon as someone who doesn’t specialise in website copy takes on the job … you can expect (guarantee?) a poor performing website, regardless of the design.
Why “just send us something” never really solves it
At some point, most agencies try this approach.
“Just send us whatever you’ve got and we’ll work with it.”
Totally understandable. And occasionally it works.
But more often:
Placeholder copy leads to placeholder decisions.
Rushed drafts create more revision cycles later.
Designers end up editing copy by default.
SEO and conversion thinking gets bolted on at the end.
It keeps things moving short-term, but it usually creates more work overall. Blowing out the budget.
How agencies that run smooth projects handle copy differently
The agencies with calmer timelines don’t magically have better clients.
They do one thing differently.
They treat copy as a foundation, not a finishing touch.
That might look like:
Starting copy before design.
Setting clear copy milestones, not vague “we’ll get to it” moments.
Explaining upfront what “copy ready” actually means.
Bringing in a copy partner who understands how agencies work. Hi! That’ll be me 😁 Want to talk more? Just book a call.
They don’t chase clients harder. They remove the conditions that cause the stall in the first place.
What a proper copy partnership actually changes
A good copy partnership doesn’t add friction. It removes it.
I come in right at the beginning of the project, before you’ve talked design, and manage the copy process. We send the client a questionnaire to get all the information needed about their clients (problems, needs, wants, demographics), their business and the services they provide. This copy questionnaire is a wealth of information you can use for design and branding.
We then meet on a copy call - 60 minutes of going through the questionnaire and weeding out the essential information for their clients. Many of the agencies and studios I work with sit in on this call for the first couple of times, so they can see how the process works.
Then I research, write and edit before passing back the first draft with a walk through video explaining the copy to the client.
We then hop on a call to go through the amendments before the copy is optimised and finalised … then you’ve got all you need in an easy to copy and paste from the wireframe to the site.
Total time, about 4-6 weeks depending on your client’s turnaround time.
You get:
Clear page hierarchy and messaging decisions made once.
Copy that’s optimised for conversion.
Content that considers SEO and conversion from the start.
Fewer revisions because the thinking has already been done.
Design becomes smoother.
Builds move faster.
Clients feel supported instead of exposed.
And projects actually finish when you said they would.
Faster projects are built, not chased
If copy is the thing that keeps slowing your projects down, the answer isn’t more reminders or tighter deadlines.
It’s better structure.
When copy is treated as part of the build, not an afterthought, everything downstream gets easier.
Calmer timelines.
Happier clients.
Less invisible stress on your team.
Want to fix this properly?
If you’re tired of copy being the bottleneck in otherwise solid website projects, let’s talk about building it into your process in a way that actually works.
Download my partnership brochure
Why does missing website copy slow down a project so much?
Because copy drives the structure. Without it, you can’t confidently decide what pages you need, what goes on each page, how much space to allow, what to prioritise, or what the calls to action should be. Designers end up guessing, and guessing leads to extra revisions, delays, and stalled approvals.
Can we start designing without the final copy?
Yes, but you need something solid to design around, not vague placeholders. A clear page plan, headings, key messages, and rough content lengths are usually enough to keep momentum. If you start with “we’ll add the words later”, you’ll almost always pay for it in rework.
Why do clients struggle to write their own website copy?
It’s hard to write about yourself. Clients aren’t in the weeds of what it takes to write copy that connects with the audience, engages with them and converts to bookings. They often overthink it, worry about sounding cringe, get stuck choosing what to include, or don’t have the time to sit down and make clear decisions. It’s not laziness. It’s usually time, knowledge, confidence, clarity, and headspace.
When should copywriting happen in a website project?
Earlier than most people think. Ideally, copy starts before design or alongside wireframing so content and layout can support each other. The goal isn’t “perfect copy on day one”, it’s getting the messaging and structure clear early so everything else can move faster.
