How to freshen up your web text - Part II

Writing for the web is very different from writing for print. And if you don't approach the task in the right way, writing (or rewriting) a good web site can become a drain on time and resources. In this second part of "How to freshen up your Web Text", you can read about the detailed steps your company can take to update, freshen or redirect its existing web text.

Strategic and efficient web text revision
It doesn't have to be expensive or time-consuming to fulfill your web text goals - but it does take a coordinated effort. It's all about establishing a well-defined vision and following some basic rules.

1. Ask why you need to change your current web site text

Changes to your web text should be made based on solid business reasons, not for the sake of change itself. When planning web text changes, consider:

• Customer or prospect feedback and site traffic data
• Changes in the overall brand, direction and message of the company
• Changes in the goal of the web site

2. Set precise goals

To ensure a common goal and to avoid a complete web rewrite, establish predefined web text goals and stick to them. Some finite goals might be:

Make the style and tone more concise or consistent (without changing the content)

• Rewrite page introductions to appeal to a broader audience
• Incorporate new brand messages into existing text
• Make text more international

3. Establish a clear process

Decide who will do what, when it needs to be done and who will make the final call. If changes aren't made in a controlled manner, the result can be a confusing and disjointed user experience. Create a single point of accountability - this will avoid the mess of multiple agendas (including the boss's!).

4. Get it right first time

Save time and money, and avoid embarrassment, by using skilled writers. This may mean using your communications department to edit product text, or bringing in outside writers. Create a sample page and short list of guidelines, including web writing tips and a summary of your goals. This will ensure that all your new web text is on message, is error-free, fits your goals and gives users a consistent experience.

5. Write for the long term

Nothing is more unconvincing than a web site with outdated content. However, frequent changes to your site won't help your image as a stable company, and updating content shouldn't consume too much of your valuable time. The key is to write as much for the long term as possible.

• Write in the present tense - readers want to know what is happening right now.
• Make it timeless - remove references to dates and future events that may need frequent updating, especially in more permanent pages such as case stories or PDFs.
• Use generic email addresses based on department names or job titles (this is less friendly but avoids updating when people get promoted or go on leave).
• Write to the future reader, as well as the present one - when you write about a product or service, assume its success is a given.

Some updating is unavoidable, so keep changeable information concentrated on as few pages as possible. Consider investing in content management tools so that staff members can quickly make necessary changes.

6. Plan for the really long term

Remember - significant changes in communication can be a major shift for any organization and can take time to implement effectively. For serious changes in tone, style or message (such as might occur during re-branding) it's important to develop a long-term plan to avoid alienating or confusing staff, customers, investors and the general public.

It's a myth that the web is changing so fast that you can't plan for the future!

Start writing

Make it painless, efficient and effective. Using these guidelines, you can write great web text!