People today have little time and little patience for poor quality websites on the internet. Have you ever come across a website riddled with spelling or grammatical errors, broken HTML codes or formatting that looks out of place? Chances are you have. Depending on how obvious these errors are, you may brush them aside, or leave the site altogether. However, people often equate a web page with errors to low quality of the product or service being presented.
Website copy quality is absolutely critical. If you own a website, every visitor that navigates away from your site without purchasing is a lost customer. People browsing websites will be moved to navigate away from your site for the smallest reason, so it is crucial that your web copy is properly written and edited. There are several components to the editing process, each of which will improve the quality of your web copy.
1. Spelling. All text on your website should contain proper spelling. With all of the spell checkers available during the writing process, there is no excuse for obvious spelling errors to show up in your copy. However, always manually review your copy for errors that result in an actual word, and will not be flagged by the spell check application. Spelling mistakes stick out like a sore thumb: and draw the attention of the reader quickly. Avoid this by automatically and manually spell checking your web copy.
2. Grammar and Word Usage. Editing for grammar and word usage should include ensuring that the tense is consistent throughout the copy, that all punctuation is included and used properly, and that all sentences are structured correctly. Incomplete sentences break the flow of your copy: and will stand out to your reader. Have a friend review your copy, since sometimes it is easier for others to pick out mistakes that you have missed.
3. Accuracy. If your website includes any product information, performance information, or other claims, fact check each entry for accuracy. Any information that is not generated by you needs to be credited to its appropriate source.
4. Formatting. When you write web copy in a word processor and then import it to a website, the resulting format as shown on the web page may not always be as you intended. Always review how your copy looks after it has been uploaded, and make changes as necessary to ensure that the copy appears as you intended it to.
Sloppy web copy stands out like a sore thumb. It degrades the professional reputation of the website. Errors take the focus away from your products and services. Don’t give your visitors an excuse to navigate away from your website. It takes little time to ensure that your web copy is properly edited, and your customers can then focus on your content.