Copywriters need to modify their punctuation (slightly) for an online audience. That's because computer screens are harder to read than printed pages (due to their lower resolution and flicker).
Here are three tips to help online readers better understand the meaning of your website copy:
1. Use Punctuation Sparingly: Punctuation marks help organise ideas and control the flow of sentences. But they easily get lost on-screen because they're small.
I recommend using punctuation sparingly online. Website copywriters need to maintain readability while they communicate their message. Use short sentences and short paragraphs. Arrange information into lists whenever possible.
2. Don't Use Semi Colons: I avoid using semi colons when writing online. They're too easily mistaken for colons.
The proper use of a semi colon is to join two independent clauses into a compound sentence. For example: "It's nearly midnight; the restaurants will probably be closed."
On the web you're better off using a period (full stop) or an em-dash (long hyphen). For example: "It's nearly midnight. The restaurants will probably be closed." or "It's nearly midnight ? the restaurants will probably be closed."
Also, it's better to use em-dashes instead of hyphens in website copy. Hyphens are small. So they can more easily be overlooked than longer em-dashes.
3. Check the Content Offline: Your website copy must be free of grammatical and spelling errors. Otherwise you risk making a bad impression. Poor English and typos and will probably turn customers away.
So make sure you do a spell check of your copy in a word processor before you upload it to your website. It's also a good idea to print it out and get a colleague to proof read it. Once the content is live, you should check it again on-screen.
Here are three tips to help online readers better understand the meaning of your website copy:
1. Use Punctuation Sparingly: Punctuation marks help organise ideas and control the flow of sentences. But they easily get lost on-screen because they're small.
I recommend using punctuation sparingly online. Website copywriters need to maintain readability while they communicate their message. Use short sentences and short paragraphs. Arrange information into lists whenever possible.
2. Don't Use Semi Colons: I avoid using semi colons when writing online. They're too easily mistaken for colons.
The proper use of a semi colon is to join two independent clauses into a compound sentence. For example: "It's nearly midnight; the restaurants will probably be closed."
On the web you're better off using a period (full stop) or an em-dash (long hyphen). For example: "It's nearly midnight. The restaurants will probably be closed." or "It's nearly midnight ? the restaurants will probably be closed."
Also, it's better to use em-dashes instead of hyphens in website copy. Hyphens are small. So they can more easily be overlooked than longer em-dashes.
3. Check the Content Offline: Your website copy must be free of grammatical and spelling errors. Otherwise you risk making a bad impression. Poor English and typos and will probably turn customers away.
So make sure you do a spell check of your copy in a word processor before you upload it to your website. It's also a good idea to print it out and get a colleague to proof read it. Once the content is live, you should check it again on-screen.
About the Author:
With a career spanning over a decade, Charles Cuninghame is one of Australia's most experienced website copywriters.
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