Across the web, you’ll find a lot of poorly-written About Us pages.  For some reason, a lot of website owners simply pay them little mind. Don’t let your website be one of those.

Three types of people open About Us pages: first-time visitors, regular users (who suddenly get curious) and prospective employees.   As such, you must direct your content to them.

Things You Shouldn’t Do

• Don’t write obvious stuff, like “We are XYZ company and we run an e-commerce site.”
• Don’t paste your mission statement on there.
• Don’t use it to run down a list of your products.

A Recommended Approach

If you’re designing your About Us page, we recommend using a three-level format.  This approach avoids overwhelming the reader with too much information, all while giving them a good amount of stuff to chew on.

1. Summary.  You lead off the page with one to two paragraphs that summarize the organization’s goal and primary accomplishments.
2. Fact sheet.  This section provides details that elaborate on the key points mentioned in the summary.  Be concise, though — nobody wants to read an About Us page that takes as long as a novel to finish.
3. Detailed information.  If you want to provide details about the points, do so in separate pages.   Provide a list of links at the bottom of your About Us page for them.

Proofreading web content works just like with any other type of writing. Except, of course, that the medium adds a few extra things to check for.

You should proof for clarity and correctness, as with any other work, following proper standards and running down a checklist of possible mistakes. A few tips to ensure best results:

1. Do proofreading while you’re at a mental peak. Being sleepy heightens the chances of missing errors. You need your concentration.

2. Use the best writing software you can find to help clean up the text. Some people recommend using a software for a quick pass-through, but supplementing it with a manual do-over. Personally, I think you should be able to skip the second part if you have a really good software on board.

Since you’re proofreading web content, you’re going to have to check for potential errors that may not be present in regular text. After all, the medium allows for a different formatting than what you’ll have with documents that you intend to publish in a journal or print out on paper.

1. Check that all anchor links are pointing to pages that exist. This is a very common error that finds its way even into high-profile websites.

2. Verify that all-information is up-to-date. If some of the details you include are time sensitive, let the readers know that they are valid as of the publication date (state the date – you never want anyone guessing).

3. Check that the formatting and layout work across different browsers and platforms, especially if you’re targeting a more general audience.

Online copy always sucks.  That’s not really true (for the sake of my self-esteem, I hope so).  However, rules (not to mention, expectations) are usually more relaxed when it comes to web-published writing compared to their print counterparts.

Of course, getting this leeway doesn’t mean you should turn out one half-hearted piece after another.  Like any form of writing, there’s a huge upside to putting in the effort to produce high-quality web copy.  Here are a few tips that can help you on that end.

Define the purpose of the piece. On the web, people rarely have time to read through blocks of text setting up the subject.  That’s why you must be clear about your purpose from the onset.  Do you want to turn readers off?  Do the “blocks of text setting up the subject” thing.  If you have a different purpose, though, then define it clearly from the start and let it guide the rest of your writing.

Please, do some real research. And, no, drawing information from Wikipedia and watered-down sources like About.com just won’t do.  Be different and do actual research for a change.  At the very least, that already sets you apart from 99% (okay, I just pulled that number out of my ass) of web content available.

Focus on the reader first, machines later. Sure, SEO is a big part of web copy.  All that on-page optimization can be done at the editing level, though.  As you work on draft, do it old-school style, putting the reader first and foremost on your list of priorities rather than Google’s next algorithm update.

Make it drip with details. Poorly-sourced web copy stinks the most with their lack of specific information.  You, on the other hand, will pile in the details, choosing to make your writing useful to your audience by providing real information they can use.

Always remember that automatic proofreading is only a push of a button away. Why hit submit without good proofing when it only takes one mouse click on your writing software?  Of course, a couple minutes of fixing up errors is also on the pipe.  But, still, that’s a small price to pay.

Keywords are extremely important in web copy, often making the difference between poor and effective on-page SEO.  In terms of reader experience, the decision to pepper your writing with relevant keywords can work both ways, either proving an effective technique to help detail the concept into your reader’s mind or a painful eyesore that makes the whole material a difficult read.

Web writing already gets rid of much of the subtlety of the craft, choosing instead to present ideas in as straightforward a manner as possible.  The use of keywords, especially when geared towards SEO use, tends to leave it even more blatant.

Artful SEO

It’s not impossible to produce keyword-rich copy that honors the writing arts. Truth is, it just takes a little more time and a little more skill than your usual work process.  In fact, well-done keyword-filled copy can read just as smoothly as regular pieces of writing, if you avoid a few common pitfalls.

• Using the same keyword in every paragraph.  While it may pay off for your SEO to use the same keyword after every three sentences, it begins getting tiresome as soon as the reader jumps into the fourth paragraph.  Try using synonyms and pronouns on occasion (use your writing software to find suggestions), instead of being shamelessly blatant.  Your writing will look more natural without compromising your keyword density.
• Don’t use keywords that don’t make sense.  Some people will forcibly use whatever key phrase they can grab from Wordtracker, often to dismal results.  How many times have you read web copy that uses a term like “cell phone review smartphone”  in the paragraphs over and over?  It’s not only poor grammar, it’s damned terrible writing.  Please avoid it.  Alternatively, you can just jumble the words to make better sense, like “smartphone cell phone review”.  It’s not going to win you writing accolades, but it at least makes sense to humans.
• Most SEO writers recommend using the keyword in both your first and last sentence, then at least once in the body of the copy.  That allows you to make on-page SEO a priority without leaving your writing a terrible mess.

Compared to other forms of writing, web copy is typically less formal, foregoing a strict adherence to rules and style than even the most casual books and magazines.  The easygoing nature of most web writing is directly attributable to the medium: anyone can get published on the web, even those who mangle the English language like they’re mashing a piece of fruit.

Real-Time

The web gets updated in real-time.  For many web writers, the only barrier between catching a scoop, writing the piece and having it published is the SUBMIT button.  This is in direct contrast to traditional media where stories often need go through several channels before seeing print.

While this characteristic can lead to mistakes (and it has), most websites subscribe to the idea that it’s better to ask for apology (you can amend a piece in real-time as well, after all) than permission.  The medium simply makes it easier.

Conventions

For those used to formal writing conventions, the web can look like a strange place to write for.  Many  of the best examples of web writing, in fact, ditch adherence conventions, in favor of a more conversational style.  Unless you’re reading a website for a specific industry (e.g. Medicine which will use APA style), it’s more likely that it won’t follow any of the standard guideline (e.g. MLA, AP, etc).

If there’s a standard that permeates most web writing, it’s this: keep it short, simple, conversational and with plenty of white space.  Viewed on a computer with a myriad of possible distractions, it really is the best way for any piece of writing to get its message across.

Of course, it goes without saying that you should employ a good grammar software before publishing a piece.  The last thing you want is to be slotted among those who treat the language like a piece of fruit (see above).

I shop a lot online and, as such, am frequently exposed to landing pages and sales pitches of all sorts and designs.  Being a copywriter myself, I notice many selling errors that writers commit all too frequently, each of which can affect your entire sales process.

Along with using a grammar software to ensure your copy’s structural correctness, you’ll need to be certain that its functionally in shape.  Whether you’re paying a professional writer or crafting the sales page yourself, make sure to watch out for these problems before unleashing your copy the world.

1. Forgetting the audience

The only thing you write for yourself is your diary and your journal.  Everything else, for the most part, is written for an audience.  A lot of amateur copywriters end up being self-indulgent in their copy, forgetting that the most important part is appealing to the reader, instead of looking clever. Always write with the audience in mind.

2. Not enough information

If your prospects already know about your product, they won’t have to go through the trouble of reading about them.  The reason they’re paying your copy any attention is the hope that they will pick up more information that will help them make their choice.  Be succinct, but don’t be stingy.

3. Excessive focus on facts, instead of benefits

People, for the most part, don’t want facts.  Facts are boring and that’s why few people read the specs sheets.  What people want are benefits – the exact good that a product or a service can do for them.  Instead of listing down facts, rework the copy into showing the benefits they can derive because of it.

4. Too much copy

There are audiences that respond well to short copy and there are those that respond to long ones.  Knowing your audience and presenting your sales pitch in the manner that they prefer can go a long way into properly closing the deal.  I’ve literally seen two-field page sign-ups that was preceded by a pitch of 5000 words.  They lost me at 501st.

5. Making the action too difficult

Regardless of what you do with your copy, the final action that seals the deal must be simple and straightforward.  Copies that present the prospect with ten things to do or five courses of action often end up confusing them.