Revising Web Content
There is a website out there for everything these days. Many have been published quickly in order to capitalize on a new idea and get the word out about a new blog, product, or service. Once business is booming, people often find a need to revise their original text to make it reflect their purpose, goals, and work process. At that point, you're often revising on the fly, trying to fit in that extra upkeep while handling your day-to-day work.
The process can be painstaking. You have your original text. You have your new ideas for the site. And in between, you have the pertinent information you need to share with readers and clients. How do you sift through it all, get your thoughts organized, and produce clear text?
Use these simple tips to help you streamline the process.
Be concise
If there is a short, succinct way to express your information, use it. If you ramble, you'll confuse your readers, or worse, lose them. Don't crowd too much information onto one page. Break your information into separate pages if need be so that your readers aren't scrolling through one long page of text.
Be clear
Use simple, straightforward language. Don't use jargon or abbreviations. Embellished, lyrical writing may be your niche, but for your static pages, try to tone it down a little bit so that your readers can get a clear picture of what you're about. Save the bulk of your voice for your writing.
Be obvious
Don't play games with your readers. Use clear page titles. Use section headers if you need to. Reading your page shouldn't be a scavenger hunt for contact information, social media links, or other important information.
Be careful
Double check your spelling and grammar. When revising content, you're likely cutting and pasting, stopping and starting. In the process, it's easy to double up on words and phrases, or miss them completely. Carefully read through your content when you've finalized it. Enlist help if you're not sure.
Be a reader
Look at and read through your website as though you are a reader. What makes sense? What reads awkwardly? Is it easy to find everything that you want a reader to see when they first visit your site?
Revising your web content can be a daunting task. With a little bit of planning and careful work, you can manage it with little stress. And if the task is too big, contact me to simplify the process so you can focus on your clients.
