This is a great article and one that is near and dear to my heart. Excellent advice for any startup business or even those struggling through the early years.

The beauty of having a business online is that any size business CAN look like the big boys ... if the site is done right - and this includes the copy as well as the layout and navigation. But write poorly ... it shows big time and people will be turned away. Although this article is entirely about copy, I think you have to look at both layout and copy together. I wouldn't begin to write the copy until I had a "storyboard" done for a site. They play off each other. If you can't write, hire someone that can.

Many SuN members already have websites. As they post, I review their sites if listed in their sig file or profile. The one thing that jumps out at me over and over again is the lack of quality copy (and site layout and nav). Misspelled words are everywhere and this just sends chills up my spine.

Another suggestion ... if you're going to date your site by discussing holidays, etc., keep it updated. A tell-tale sign of a small operation and lack of attention from the operator is allowing old, dated copy to remain on a site. Visitors notice and make assumptions about the whole site and company behind the site.

When you think about it, there are plenty of great sites out there operated by big companies that do it right (not all of them, of course). Review them. They have spent tons of money on research and studies to determine what drives consumers and visitors to their sites. What causes people to click, to order, to give email addresses, etc. Learn from their experiences and financial resources they spent to learn these things. And the one thing you'll notice over and over - clean copy and easy navigation - they keep it simple.

R@

Richard, I couldn't agree more. I've become aware that so many people who start a business underestimate the value of editing/proofreading. Some potential customers get their first impression of you and your business from your site. They can't look you in the eye and judge your credibility or how well you run your business. A site with spelling and grammar errors essentially says you're willing to do inferior work and just may pass that along to your customers.

I remember coming across a podiatrist's site a few months ago that had the words Achilles' heal in large type (among other errors). My first thought was that if he didn't know that it was heel and not heal I surely wouldn't be patronizing his clinic. Bottom line: Hiring a writer or editor is a sound investment.

Kimberly J.

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