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
best cleaning company Highland Park ..You can create a website that attracts customers, not repels... Read More
Back to basics. Forget funky design, good copywriting is the... Read More
Imagine you're going on a blind date. You've heard wonderful... Read More
Are you looking to create the perfect website? A complete... Read More
Do you remember playing with the jack-in-the-box toy as a... Read More
Let me repeat that.."The technology may change, but human nature... Read More
1. Size does not equate to competencePeople sometimes assume a... Read More
Are you going to design or redesign new website or... Read More
There are more than billions of Web Sites, running Online... Read More
Drop Capitals are frequently used in many newspapers, books and... Read More
The object of search engines is to give their visitors... Read More
What is web usability & why is it important?Web usability... Read More
You have an idea for a website and you are... Read More
Many people today are tired of the Microsoft software that... Read More
What Will My Site Do?This is the first of eight... Read More
Setting up a survey on your site is extremely simple... Read More
We've all seen them. Poorly designed web sites that make... Read More
I want you to imagine a lemon. In your mind's... Read More
First impressions are extremely important if you hope to do... Read More
Building your first website can be very frustrating. It looks... Read More
Mechanical spiders have to eat. In fact, they usually have... Read More
Marketing is not an easy skill to acquire.It requires patience... Read More
Whether you are planning on having a website built for... Read More
Web sites that feature products ? especially furniture or other... Read More
As an online Entrepreneur you require a successful website.One that... Read More
high-end home cleaning Winnetka ..Tips to brand your websiteInclude your logo in all pages.... Read More
If you've just finished building your new website (or revamping... Read More
Ever browse across a website that took ten million years... Read More
For many webmasters the title of my article may seem... Read More
What colors do you have at your website?Can they make... Read More
So, what's in a website design anyway? And, how do... Read More
Developing a software application is not easy at all; apart... Read More
You have an idea for a website and you are... Read More
If you are reading this, I assume you either have... Read More
I see a lot of mistakes, but here are the... Read More
You know... Before purchasing your product a person comes to... Read More
This article gives free tips on how to find a... Read More
It's a fact, Page Not Found, known as a 404... Read More
Want to know what the worst thing to say on... Read More
Every now and then, I receive a link exchange request... Read More
Geared Up with a website and lots of energy to... Read More
Making a successful online business can be a long and... Read More
Geometric designs come in all shapes and sizes? and lines.... Read More
When a prospect lands on your website will he or... Read More
The Basics You have a flourishing business ? everything is... Read More
Easy navigation and usability are one of the most important... Read More
Websites, there are literally billions of them out there in... Read More
Many Internet sites that try to sell you something have... Read More
In the of-line marketing world it is all about trying... Read More
I often wonder how serious people are when it comes... Read More
Web Design |