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Making
it web worthy
Once
upon a time, subediting for the web just meant getting a
technical expert to cut and past your marketing literature
onto a website template. No longer. Today, the Internet
is a primary delivery mechanism for your company’s
marketing messages and as such, it demands professional
web content.
It
is important that the website complements rather than just
repeats the existing hard copy literature. If it offers
nothing more, then it fails to add any value as a resource.
Consequently, copy to be re-used on the web needs to be
carefully repurposed by an experienced copy editor or web
consulting agency.
This
frequently means substantial changes and tailoring to the
needs of the online reader but the practise remains valuable
and highly cost-effective. Moreover, there are some basic
rules that anyone can follow to make copy destined for the
web that much more effective.
Repurposing
copy for the web
Firstly,
web copy is a lean meat and all the fat needs trimming.
Because the web is so interactive, people wish to link to
exactly the information that interests them as fast as possible.
This means getting to the point straight away
and dispensing with any lengthy introduction. Furthermore,
the same hard-nosed thinking needs to be applied to all
the copy. Unnecessary information needs to be removed and
long-winded sections should be made as succinct as possible
to reflect the patience of the reader.
Secondly,
copy needs to be scannable. Whilst many will be happy to
read from the top, others will wish to glance down the page
looking for the importance of what they are reading to jump
out at them. Dense paragraphs need to be broken up into
smaller logical sections and sign-posted by appropriate
subheadings. Moreover, important information needs to be
highlighted.
Thirdly, everything
must be placed in context. No web page is an island and
whilst the content may come from an isolated document, copy
placed on a website must be relevant to the pages that it
links to and from. Consequently, a subedited webpage will
need to be adjusted accordingly to reflect the right length,
style, tone and format.
Lastly, good link placement is vitally important. Repurposed
copy for the web cannot be all dressed up with no where
to go. Links need to be interesting, attention grabbing
and just as importantly, informative as to where they lead.
Writing
Machine and you
The
do-it-yourself approach to subediting copy for the web can
be a risky affair. The website is, after all, the new shop
front and presentation needs to be exemplary. For many,
making the right changes can be a daunting task and few
have the necessary skills.
That’s
where Writing Machine fits in. We can provide fast and effective
subediting for the web. If you know what you want to say
but not how to, we can take your copy and enhance it. If
you have print literature that you want to be reused on
your website, we can tailor it to your exact requirements.
And if you have old web copy that needs to be updated to
meet the present style, format and tone – we can do
that too.
Moreover, the benefits of web consultancy
are clear. Over the last eight years, Writing Machine’s
website subediting skills have been in huge demand. Companies
large and small, from Nortel Networks to iOra, have utilised
our web writing services with much success – finding
them value for money and effective for engaging readers.
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