Is Your Website Copy up to Scratch?
This was posted by John Sheridan on July 8th, 2011 - Under NewsThe Internet contains a phenomenal amount of written information on every subject imaginable; some of it accurate; some of it not so accurate, and some of it just downright untrue. All this data is supplied by companies, individuals and organisations that for one reason or another have information they want to share with others.
However, apart from the issue of accuracy, another major problem with a huge amount of online copy is a lack of care and attention paid to the quality of the writing. Yes there are numerous websites that look brilliant but are let down by errors in their copy; errors that could easily have been rectified long before the site went live had a little extra effort been made.
Luckily though, websites are totally versatile when it comes to changing graphics or copy, and both can be altered within minutes, enabling mistakes to be rectified quickly.
So, why don’t some website owners take more care over the quality of their web copy? Do they think the graphics alone are enough to entice a visitor to buy their products or services?
Is it deemed acceptable that because Internet publishing can be done by just about anyone, normal writing disciplines don’t apply? Unfortunately, in many cases, the answer to both of these questions is yes.
The only thing that can tell a visitor what they want to know is well-written, informative copy. Obviously no-one is perfect and errors will appear now and again. However, most visitors will overlook the odd spelling mistake or misuse of a word but won’t hang around for long if there are too many. To them, illegible copy conveys an I-don’t-care attitude, so if the website owner can’t be bothered then why should they?
Not all websites have to be graphically amazing. Understated can be just as effective as in-your-face visuals, but one thing they all have in common is that they all contain a textual content, and the only way that words are truly effective is if they are written so readers can understand what they are trying to say.
Remember, it’s the copy that will ultimately be responsible for generating enquiries from interested parties; it’s up to every website owner to make sure it says the right thing about their business.

