Typos, misspellings, hideous grammar, exclamation overkill and run-on sentences all undermine a Web site's message. Your reader will have to work too hard, and you won't have that reader long.
Grabbing a reader's attention is a key point in getting your message out, but there is such a thing as too much grabbing--and the wrong kind of attention. Negative attention can lose a great many visitors and potential clients.
Clean content and neat appearance are not merely a matter of aesthetics. It goes to the core of establishing trust and reliability between a Web site and visitor. Relate it to a deli. A potential customer heard about you through an ad. Cool ad, got his/her attention, so he/she stops by on the way home. On the outside everything looks nice, meets expectations, so the visitor walks in, looking for tonight's sandwich goodies. Once inside it only takes a few seconds to notice the dust on the shelves, the dirty footprints, the unidentifiable smudges on the glass counter-fronts. No matter how good the food smells, if the counterperson has dirty hands or there are papers littering the floor, how many people are going to feel comfortable reaching over a crumb-covered counter to pay for their dinner?
That may sound like a silly comparison to Web content, but really, it's not so far off. The principle stands: clean, neat, appealing content builds comfort and trust. Sloppy, haphazard or distracting content repels, and breaks down credibility. And the principle is very easy to apply to all Web content. Just remember the acronym, "Get It All"
G- et another set of eyes to take an objective look
E- xtra attention to spelling lends credibility
T- ell your message with exciting words; don't rely on graphics
I- talics, bold and all caps are rough on the eyes, use sparingly
T- ake the time to read the entire content... backwards (you'll be amazed at what you'll notice this way)
A- lways do one last look-see after it's finished
L- et all content sit for at least a full day before a final edit
L- ose the guesswork--keep a dictionary and grammar/editing reference at your fingertips, and use them often.
Whether your content is a one-line ad or five-page report, taking that little extra time and effort will improve your site, build customer confidence and add respectability. Saving time now and risking poor content quality can end up costing you more later. After all, the object is to get and keep customers at your site; to keep them reading. How long would you have kept reading this article if it had all been written like that first paragraph?
Cherie' Davidson is a freelance writer and Web content developer who lives in the Pacific Northwest with her toy poodle, Auggie Dog, her "energy muse." She has her own freelance writing business, Suitable Words Publications (http://www.suitablewords.com), where she writes and promotes Website content, designs and develops e-books, hires out as a copywriter and writes a wide variety of articles and essays. She has started a blog at http://www.suitablewords.com and a free article site at http://www.suitablewords.com
professional maid services Park Ridge ..Making a poorly designed website is one of the easiest... Read More
Just about every list of the "Top 10 Web Design... Read More
(1) Create a Direct Response Website, with the minimum number... Read More
If you have a web site to which people pay... Read More
I have written before about long sales copy on the... Read More
Let me repeat that.."The technology may change, but human nature... Read More
You've made your website, added a great title and keywords... Read More
Do know your audienceIt's important to know your audience. If... Read More
Website design is a very competitive area and there is... Read More
If you think it's simply a case of who will... Read More
Owning your own website is a must if you are... Read More
Questions to ask when designing a Web Site for your... Read More
Do you want to use unsafe web colors without offending... Read More
Don't mess with those links! When you're designing your site,... Read More
You have probably viewed many Flash-based components while surfing the... Read More
7. Create high quality content - make clear points with... Read More
One product, one long web page: this kind of web... Read More
Are you looking to create the perfect website? A complete... Read More
Your web site is the key to your success on... Read More
They say the eyes are the window to the soul.... Read More
First impressions are extremely important if you hope to do... Read More
Why your site should be developed with CSS and semantic... Read More
Novice and professional designers alike ? you may probably be... Read More
If your Web site doesn't project a professional and polished... Read More
There are two important reasons to build your website from... Read More
cleaning lady near Lincolnshire ..I hate to imagine that in your web development project... Read More
See, works every time. Seriously now, for some reason people... Read More
You have good traffic, but low client sign ups and... Read More
The .htaccess file is a control file located in your... Read More
Your web site is the key to your success on... Read More
An application is not ready for use unless you have... Read More
The question that I most frequently hear from people is... Read More
In today's world, a web site is virtually mandatory for... Read More
The importance of choosing your website keywords carefully is very... Read More
Do you know why the majority of people use the... Read More
You've designed your logo, and you're ready to print your... Read More
New Web sites are springing up online by the millions.... Read More
If you've a website that is not generating a lot... Read More
Have you ever walked pass a shop that, for some... Read More
Favorite icon appears to the left of your link in... Read More
To build a website, there are four methods to choose... Read More
If you are going to be placing ads on your... Read More
Do you want to use unsafe web colors without offending... Read More
Whenever singer John Mayer sings his romantic song, "Your Body... Read More
Hello, how is your website doing?Are sales flowing in?If you... Read More
Even after you've managed to bring traffic to your site... Read More
Creating your own website can be fun and easy, as... Read More
Being a writer, when I was asked to do some... Read More
"It's good.""You've done a nice job.""I don't like it."At some... Read More
Many businesses want a simple website where they tell people... Read More
Web Design |