Map it before you make it: Content strategy for smoother journeys

Just me, my husband, and a rough idea of where we want to go. The dream version is all rolling landscapes, roadside discoveries, and spontaneous detours. The reality? A bit messier.

Turns out, if you actually want to see the things you’ve been talking about for months — and not just spend the whole time stuck in traffic or circling dodgy backroads — you need a plan. A flexible one, sure. But a plan nonetheless.

And the more I map this out, the more it reminds me of something we see all the time in content projects: The difference between freedom and frustration is structure.

Dreaming up the trip

“Let’s just get in the car and go” sounds romantic — until you’re hungry, lost, and out of fuel.

You start out with excitement and energy. You have a rough idea where you want to go. But without structure, even the most exciting trip can unravel fast.

The same is true for content.

What starts as “just one more page” quickly turns into a maze of duplicate content, orphaned resources, and frustrated users. And once the chaos builds, the real cost kicks in: wasted time, internal confusion, and a site nobody wants to maintain.

Planning your route

Structure isn’t red tape. It’s the thing that makes the adventure possible.

Just like a route planner helps you make the most of your time, structured content helps your website work harder.

• Clear purpose behind each page
• Consistent use of fields and layouts
• Tagging to help group and filter content
• Listing tools to reuse content without duplication

Structure doesn’t limit you. It gives you options — and helps everyone stay on the same road.

Factoring in the stops

Yes, good planning takes time. But so do unexpected detours.

The urge to skip planning is real. And sometimes, you’ll get pushback: “Why can’t we just publish it now?” “Do we really need to involve that team?”

But here’s what we’ve learned: The extra conversations, reviews, and idea-checks slow things down just enough to avoid bigger problems later. Sometimes they make your idea stronger. Sometimes they get others on board.

Either way, it’s not a delay. It’s an investment.

Packing the car (and repacking it)

A Juizi client story: the journey from clutter to clarity

One of our clients had years of content packed into a site with no consistent structure. Project pages, PDFs, blog posts — all in one place, impossible to navigate, and even harder to update.

It was like trying to pack for a long trip with everything just thrown into the boot.

Because they were on Plone, we could help them:

• Bulk tag content into clear categories
• Cut and paste items into better locations
• Use collections (Plone Classic) or listing blocks (Plone Volto) to reference items in multiple places
• Keep key resources in a central repository — one version, displayed where needed

The planning took time. But the platform gave them a smoother ride.

Hitting the road: your quick-start checklist

Want to get ahead of the chaos? Start here:

1. Know your structure before you hit publish A clear story, clear purpose, and consistent layout go further than just picking the right content type. In Volto, the flexibility is yours — but that makes structure even more important. Define what each kind of page is for, and stick to it.
2. Use fields intentionally Don’t leave editors guessing. Use titles, summaries, images, and other fields consistently so your content can be searched, listed, and reused without fuss.
3. Tag now, even if you don’t need it yet Think of tagging like building a GPS for your site. It helps you create filtered views, topic hubs, and personalised journeys down the line — even if you’re not using it today.
4. Stick to a single source of truth Don’t duplicate content just to get it in multiple places. Keep your key resources in one home, and use listing blocks (Plone Volto) or collections (Plone Classic) to surface them where needed. This “single source of truth” approach saves time, avoids errors, and makes your site easier to maintain.
5. Plan for potholes and road closures Unplanned issues happen. Team members leave. Priorities change. Approvals stall. Even a lightweight publishing workflow can help: agree on who drafts, who reviews, and who gives final sign-off. That clarity keeps you moving, even when the route changes.

The real destination: freedom

A good road trip isn’t about the map. It’s about what the map allows.

When your content is structured:

• Editors work faster
• Users find what they need
• You can scale without breaking things

Structure isn’t the opposite of creativity. It’s the thing that lets creativity show up on time, every time.