A Content First Approach

I was out hunting for web site mockup tools when I came across this lead from an article listing 7 options:

I am working on a number of website projects right now. My mission is to banish ‘lorem ipsum’ by working text into page designs before development starts. (To find out why, read my article: Want a good website, on time? Prioritise content)

As I pondered this statement, it occured to me that the author is absolutely right: the standard way to develop a site is to come up with the shape first, then implement, and finally, drop in the text. Banish "lorem ipsum" - that's pratically heresy.

But, would happen if you did just this? What if the copy came before the website design was solidified?

Seems to me, the design and flow of the website would be structured around what you actually want to say rather than what a generic design would call for. Rather than trying to fit 10 selling points into a single Why Buy Page, you could structure the site to walk folks through 10 points in an easy manner.

Seems obvious - I'll have to give it a try.