5 Proofreading Tips for Writing for the Web
Proofreading, the most basic form of editing, involves checking for errors in grammar, punctuation, and spelling. In this list, I’ve included five common mistakes to avoid when writing for the web—be it a marketing email, a blog/social media post, or website copy.
Watch those homophones
From an editing standpoint, nothing undercuts your credibility more than homophone spelling errors.
Homophones are words that sound the same but are spelled differently and have different meanings. A word may be spelled correctly but might not fit the meaning of the sentence. As a consequence, the error is often not caught by basic spell-and-grammar checking features.
I’ve received marketing emails urging me to “stay on coarse” with a product, or asking “Did you here about…” When a reader comes across a misused homophone, all of their attention can be focused on the error, pulling them away from content’s actual message.
Common homophones include:
affect/effect
to/too/two
stationary/stationery
stare/stair
there/they’re/their
than/then
which/witch
are/our
accept/except
2. Use the right question words and punctuation in your title or subject
Titles or subjects should tell the reader what to expect when they read your content. Titles that are written in the form of a question, with or without a question mark, can muddle your message and undermine your credibility.
I once received a marketing email with the subject “Am I open?” The business owner wasn’t actually asking me, her client, if she was open; she wanted to tell me that she was open. Unless you are actually asking your audience a question, avoid questions as titles or subjects.
Tip: as you write your title or subject, think to yourself, “I am going to tell you….” and complete the sentence with a statement. Use infinitives of action verbs: to choose, to use, to place; avoid “to do,” which is vague and non-specific.
Real life examples:
How to choose the right curtain color? vs. How to choose the right curtain color
What to do with lavender leaves vs. How to use lavender leaves
Where should a beehive be placed? vs. Where to place a beehive
How did you move abroad? vs. Feature: How I moved abroad
3. Use symbols strategically
Symbols (i.e. &, +, =) can make your text look modern and interesting. While they work well in titles or subjects, it’s best to avoid using them in place of words in your copy. Any time a reader is pulled away from the flow of the text by something unusual, there’s the potential for them to stop reading entirely.
That being said, you are the best judge of your audience. Is your content modern, casual, or edgy? Then maybe using a symbol will enhance your message.
4. Play it cool with punctuation marks
I once received a marketing email with seven (7!) exclamation points at the end of the subject. One will suffice to get your point across, I promise. Maybe two if you are especially excited about what you have to say and your format is relatively informal. More than that makes you appear unprofessional and has the potential to overwhelm and turn-off your audience.
5. Double-check apostrophes
I could write a whole post about this last one, because it’s tricky for everyone—but it’s especially tricky if you’re a non-native English speaker.
In Dutch, some words are pluralized by adding -’s to the end of the word, i.e. paprika’s or auto’s. This is not the case in English, though plenty of native English-speakers struggle with apostrophes too.
An apostrophe-s (-’s) should only be used at the end of a noun to indicate ownership:
The peppers are Susan’s.
The cat’s tail was long and fluffy.
Note: do not add an apostrophe after a possessive pronoun:
The cars are his.
The mistake was theirs.
Apostrophes are also used for conjunctions, when two words have been joined together:
they are becomes they’re
we have becomes we’ve
Note: There are some potentially confusing exceptions, where the use of an apostrophe indicates a conjunction, and a homophone of the word (as in tip no. 1) indicates ownership but does not take an apostrophe:
they’re (they are) vs. their (belongs to them)
it’s (it is) vs. its (belonging to a thing)
When in doubt, double check the meaning of the word you’ve used—or hire an editor to review your text.
We all make these common grammar, punctuation, and spelling mistakes from time to time—even editors. Taking a few minutes to read over your text before hitting send can make all the difference to your audience, and to your bottom line!
Want to be sure to get it right? Contact me about proofreading and editing services, because your words deserve to be presented flawlessly.
