Consumer Psychology and the Ecommerce Checkout

Editing Tips For Business Web Content

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• By Brad Shorr
• January 14th, 2014
 
• Communication, Content
• 15 Comments

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The Web is awash in content. A recent Moz article reports that 92,000 new articles are posted onlineevery day. Companies are spending billions on content marketing to enhance credibility, build brand awareness and, especially of late, improve SEO.

Here is what Google has to say about content in its quality guidelines:

• Make pages primarily for users, not for search engines.
• Don’t deceive your users.
• Avoid tricks intended to improve search engine rankings. A good rule of thumb is whether you’d feel comfortable explaining what you’ve done to a website that competes with you, or to a Google employee. Another useful test is to ask, “Does this help my users? Would I do this if search engines didn’t exist?”
• Think about what makes your website unique, valuable, or engaging. Make your website stand out from others in your field.

Google has always tried to reward great content with high rankings, but today, thanks to vast improvements in its algorithm, Google is better able to actually do it. Its content quality guidelines are perfectly aligned with what every writer and marketer should aspire to.

AS A DESIGNER, WHY SHOULD YOU CARE ABOUT CONTENT QUALITY?

• Your brilliant designs will be wasted if they are filled with inferior content.
• By developing the ability to evaluate content quality, you are able to provide constructive, difference-making input to other members of the creative team, increasing your value as a designer.
• If you are in a project management role, you must know what needs to be fixed, improved and enhanced in the deliverable’s content.
• Unless the content meets a high standard of quality, the finished product will undermine rather than enhance credibility, diminish rather than build brand awareness, and damage rather than improve search engine visibility.

Defining “quality content” is difficult. A useful approach is to look at the editing process, because editing is where content theory is translated into cold hard facts. You could argue forever with clients about what constitutes quality content on a theoretical level. But when you break down quality into its specific editorial components, theoretical arguments evaporate.

A sound editing process forces quality into content, no matter how ill-conceived or weakly written the content was in the beginning, assuming it was properly conceived and at least decently written to begin with.

The editing process is more important than most think. (Image credit:opensourceway)

This article examines several aspects of content editing. By reading it, you will learn:

• how the editing process works for most forms of online business content, including website pages, infographics, landing pages, brochures, white papers and slide presentations;
• what “big picture” issues and technical editing details to get right before publishing;
• the different types of editing help you need, and where to find authoritative online resources for DIY editing.

Five Types Of Content Editing

There are various formulas for breaking down editing tasks. For business content, it helps to think about editing as having five specialties.

1. SUBSTANTIVE EDITING

Substantive editors are mainly concerned with overall cohesion, clarity, accuracy and effectiveness. They look for incomplete or faulty arguments, unsupported assertions, inconsistencies or gaps in the logical flow of the content, and faithfulness to the assignment’s strategic goals.

2. COPYEDITING

Copyeditors are mainly concerned with style. Are sentences clear and concise? Is the tone consistent? Are the right words being used? Is the text free of jargon and obscure references? Does the copy adhere to rules of grammar, punctuation and style?

3. FACT-CHECKING

Fact-checkers are mainly concerned with informational accuracy. They make sure statistics and other quantitative information are stated fully and correctly. Fact-checking is often a research task, but in business writing, it also comes into play at the editing stage — with vitally important impact, as we will see in a moment.

4. SEO

SEO editing ensures that on-page content conforms to SEO best practices and follows the campaign’s on-page guidelines. SEO editing is typically done by a client’s internal or external SEO resource. The more the SEO resource is plugged into the creative process, the less artificial and stilted the optimized content will be.

5. PROOFREADING

Proofreaders are mainly concerned with technical precision. Different standards apply to different types of content; a list of authoritative editing resources appears at the end of this article.

Editing done here by Johanna Shapiro (View larger version)

If all of these editing tasks are done well, the final product will have the level of quality that readers and search engines desire. In terms of workflow, the editing process follows the order noted above, starting with substantive editing and ending with proofreading. However, as you might imagine, editing is not always linear; documents usually go back and forth between editors and writers as issues are fixed.

Editing Process FAQs

Effective editing is not only a matter of knowing what to do; it also requires an understanding of how to manage workflow and communication. Addressing these FAQs at the outset of your next project will help lay the groundwork for not only a better editing process, but a more enjoyable one.

DO I NEED TO HIRE FIVE EDITORS?

No. A talented editor can cover a lot of the work at an acceptable level for most business content. That being said, the substantive editor must be familiar with the product, industry and audience in question, since the effectiveness of the content hinges on understanding the audience’s mindset and needs. The SEO editor must, of course, know SEO inside and out.

HOW CAN I GET COPY APPROVED MORE QUICKLY?

Too much editing can be just as bad as not enough — some firms review and tweak for so long that the content is outdated by the time they approve it. The substantive editor or project manager is the best defence against perfectionism. They are best equipped to recognize when content should be deemed finished and to explain why to clients and team members.

HOW MUCH EDITING SHOULD THE WRITER DO?

I would love to hear from the Smashing Magazine community on this one, because it’s a thorny issue. Even writers with a firm grasp of grammar, style and technique submit substandard drafts due to time constraints or lack of familiarity with the subject matter. Competent writers learn as they go, reducing the editorial burden. For example, if a website project requires 60 pages of new content, have the writer start with 10 pages and then give them a careful copyedit and substantive edit. The edits may be numerous at this point, especially if the writer is new to the subject matter. If the next 10 pages come back vastly improved, then you’ll know the writer is catching on.

WHAT IF MY CLIENT DOESN’T CARE ABOUT EDITING?

Clients might not care about content editing as such, but they certainly care about public image, leads and orders. High-quality content impresses Google, which leads to more search engine visibility, which leads to more traffic and more business. High-quality content also reassures prospects, customers and stakeholders that the company is reliable and competent.

WHAT’S THE BEST WAY TO MANAGE THE EDITING PROCESS?

One person, generally the project manager or substantive editor, should coordinate all editorial functions and communication and make final decisions. Creative teams have many editing tools at their disposal, but using good old Track Changes and Comments in Word documents is perhaps the easiest way to start. A big challenge is preventing multiple versions of an in-process document from floating around; implement a clear procedure to avoid this. In my experience, the competence of the manager, rather than the tools, will determine the efficiency of the process.

Common Editing Issues

Let’s look at a few specific real-world issues that crop up in business Web copy for each type of editing. These particulars will give you an idea of what to look for if you are doing the editing or looking for an editor or managing the project.

SUBSTANTIVE EDITING ISSUES

• Here is an instructive, real-life example of how substantive editing produces clarity. In a recent article about writing for slide presentations, I wrote, “Slide presentations are great for a ‘peeling the onion’ narrative approach.” My editor commented, “What does that mean?” I pondered the issue and realized that I didn’t really know what I meant! After further reflection, I changed it to, “Slide presentations are ideal for storytelling.” Moral of the story: Substantive editors don’t always need to make sweeping changes. Often, just knowing what to look for helps to get it right.
• Keeping content on point prevents content creep. Substantive editors remind clients that a landing page need not be a thousand words long to prompt a conversion, nor a website a thousand pages deep to convey the firm’s value proposition.
• Substantive editors police all content to maintain consistency of brand messaging.
• The company’s branding and positioning strategy, the value proposition of the product and service being marketed and the nature of the target audience will determine the content’s style and tone. The substantive editor must be crystal clear on all of them.
• Building on the last point, a substantive editor — if time, budget and skill allow — injects personality into flat business content by adding storytelling narratives and stylistic flair that speak powerfully to the target audience.

When it comes to substantive editing, Duluth Trading Company’s website does this extraordinarily well.

COPYEDITING ISSUES

• Headlines and headings should be descriptive and, in many cases, persuasive. Additionally, proper keyword placement in headlines and headings is important for SEO, so copyeditors and SEO editors must collaborate closely to balance these requirements.
• Active voice usually beats passive voice: “John saved $100” has more impact than “$100 was saved by John.” There are cases where the passive voice is preferred; a competent copyeditor makes the proper adjustments.
• Pronoun sensitivity leads writers to employ tortuous sentence construction to avoid “he” or “she” usage. Also, writers often shift from “it” to “they” when referring to a company. The copyeditor keeps pronoun use smooth and consistent.
• The wrong word or phrase can do worse than make a company look stupid; it can convey a message contrary to the one intended. My list of commonly confused business words and phrases is a handy reference.
• Overuse of exclamation points and all-caps conveys HYSTERIA!!!!
• Copyeditors convert long unformatted paragraphs into Web-optimized formats that employ bullet points, three- to five-line paragraphs, judicious use of bold text, etc. This is an area where designers provide valuable input.

FACT-CHECKING ISSUES

• Sadly, the Web is a stewpot of misinformation, cooked up by marketers who feel pressured to publish. For example, a reader might come across a flashy infographic stating, “70% of Executives Use Tablets!” but, after checking the source, discovers that this “fact” is based on a survey of 25 anonymous respondents conducted by an obscure agency. Fact-checkers protect you and your client from losing credibility as a result of shaky statistics.
• Fact-checkers make sure that basic corporate information is correct. The company’s name, job titles and the spelling of employees’ names should always be accurate — yet often are not.
• Fact-checkers review product specifications to make sure they are up to date. The value of this thankless task is appreciated only after, say, a customer orders a $1.5 million printing press that turns out to be 10 feet too long for its production line when it arrives at the plant.

SEO ISSUES

• Overusing keyword phrases on a page of content is counterproductive.
• Varying keyword phrases generally helps search engine visibility and makes content more readable and less “spammy” for humans.
• An SEO editor might opt to add links to the client’s other relevant content on a given page of Web content or a blog post. If done correctly, these related links build the authority of the client’s website.

PROOFREADING ISSUES

• One space after a period is standard.
• Capitalization in headlines and headings should consistently follow a predetermined style.
• Font size and style should be consistent for text and headers from page to page.

In Conclusion, How Much Editing Is Enough?

Practical considerations such as deadlines and bandwidth, along with a clear understanding of the audience, will influence how thoroughly a piece of online content should be edited.

PROOFREADING

Generally speaking, readers do not hold blog posts to the same stylistic standard as, say, white papers. However, a blog post directed at an audience of scholars, physicians or attorneys will be held to a higher standard.

FACT-CHECKING

Visual content such as infographics and slide presentations, perhaps because of their formality, seem to carry more weight with readers than blog posts and website pages. For this reason, producers of visual content have a greater obligation to be sure of their facts, all else being equal. Firms undermine their credibility when they publish graphical material loaded with unsupported or misleading facts, whether intentionally or not.

SEO

If a firm has an organized SEO marketing program, then on-page SEO is crucial. If not, on-page optimization alone would probably not be enough to have any substantive impact on search visibility.

COPYEDITING AND SUBSTANTIVE EDITING

As for these, there is never any advantage to publishing vague, incoherent and uninspiring material. Some level of review is really a must. If resources are limited, and often they are, use this editing tactic: When in doubt, leave it out.

Resources

• AP Stylebook
  The AP (Associated Press) style is the standard for newspapers and journalists and is commonly used for marketing and PR content. An online subscription gives you instance access to authoritative information on editorial issues relating to general business content.
• The Chicago Manual of Style
  The CMS, published by The University of Chicago, is widely used in the humanities for formatting and citation, and it contains a wealth of information, analysis and insight on issues of grammar and usage. Whereas AP primarily tells you what to do, the CMS also explainswhy.
• MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers
  This style guide of the MLA (Modern Language Association) is widely used for academic writing.
• Purdue OWL
  The Purdue OWL (Online Writing Lab) is a convenient online resource for grabbing up-to-date answers to CMS- and MLA-related questions.
• New Oxford Style Manual
  This book contains detailed information on UK style. Oxford Dictionaries has helpful tables on British and American spelling andterms for online reference.
• AMA Manual of Style
  The AMA (American Medical Association) guide is widely used for medical and scientific publishing.
• Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association
  This manual is widely used for academic and professional writing in the social and behavioral sciences.

(al, il, ea)

Ecommerce Merchants Should Not Ignore Older Shoppers

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DECEMBER 16, 2013 • MARCIA KAPLAN

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Conventional wisdom suggests that when seeking customers, ecommerce merchants should pursue teens and people in their twenties. These are the people who own the most electronic devices, are the most comfortable with technology, and do the most online buying. However, you may be overlooking a large and neglected segment of the U.S. population that is eager to spend money online — people over 50.

Advertisers ignore them, concentrating mainly on the 18 to 34 age group. Nielsen, the research firm, estimates that only about 5 percent of advertising dollars are directed at seniors. Merchants too tend to offer products that appeal only to younger shoppers. Marketing efforts are directed mainly at this group.

Myths about seniors abound. Among them are that most seniors are poor, they don’t shop online, and they only buy necessities. Yet statistics show that this overlooked segment of our society has money to spend. Ecommerce vendors that can reach out to older Americans can be richly rewarded.

Why Target People Over 50?

Quite simply there are a lot of them and they have money. Nevertheless, brands focus on the under 50 age group. Yet the almost 78 million Baby Boomers in the U.S. — those born between 1946 and 1964 — are fairly affluent, well educated, comfortable with technology, and willing to try new products. They were raised in a spending-driven economy, unlike their parents who grew up during the Depression.

Yet the almost 78 million Baby Boomers in the U.S. — those born between 1946 and 1964 — are fairly affluent, well educated, comfortable with technology, and willing to try new products

Indeed, according to Nielsen, Boomers’ online habits are similar to those of the 18 to 34 age cohort. Boomers represent 38.5 percent of all consumer packaged goods expenditures. Research firm Ipsos, in cooperation with Google, conducted interviews with 5,100 Boomers and seniors in April 2013 and found that while the most common reason to use the Internet was to find out about the news and weather, 57 percent shopped online in the prior month and 45 percent looked for coupons or daily deals.

As a society, we tend to stereotype seniors. The only advertising directed at them emphasizes physical infirmity. But older people do buy things other than pharmaceuticals, adult diapers, and scooters. Even those who are retired have disposable income. According to the U.S. Census Bureau and Bankrate, a financial services company, Americans over 50 account for 77 percent of all financial assets, and 54 percent of total consumer demand. They comprise 47 percent of all car sales and 80 percent of luxury travel purchases. They also buy toys, games and electronics for their grandchildren.

According to the 2010 Census, there are 51.6 million Americans aged 60 to 84 comprising 16.6 percent of the population and 41.9 million between 50 and 59 years of age. Statistics from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics show that approximately 18.5 percent of Americans age 65 and over were working in 2012. This percentage will likely increase in future because of erosion in traditional pension plans, a decrease in the value of financial assets, and the uncertainty of 401K plans. Working people need clothing, cars, and electronics.

The results of the 2012 Pew Internet & American Life Project Survey showed that over half of those 65 and older are online and 70 percent use the Internet on a daily basis. However, persons over 75 do not use the Internet very much. But the age group right behind them is comfortable with the Internet and when they reach 75 they will likely continue to use the Internet for email, research, and shopping.

Thirty-four percent of those over 65 visit social networking sites, while 86 percent use email.

Is Millennial Purchasing Power Overestimated?

Merchants who target people in their teens and 20s may be overestimating the purchasing power of this segment of the population. A substantial number of them are living with their parents, are underemployed or unemployed and don’t have a great deal of discretionary income. In 2012, 36 percent of the country’s young adults ages 18 to 31— the Millennial generation — were living in their parents’ home, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data. Of those still living with parents, only 29 percent were employed. Millennials may actually have considerably less purchasing power than Baby Boomers and seniors.

What do Older Shoppers Look For Online

U.K. research firm Shoppercentric advises that seniors look for quality and value over bargains when shopping. However, they do tend to use coupons and discounts.

Seniors have the inclination and time to perform extensive research before making a purchase decision. Be sure to provide detailed information about your products and services. Visuals are helpful too. Seniors like to do online research on hobbies, vacation destinations, auto, and appliance purchases. They also rely on the Internet for health information.

Seniors are receptive to email marketing. They are more likely to respond to that than other online forms of communication.

In most cases, it’s not necessary to change your website or your product offerings to attract seniors. It is simply a matter of letting them know that you are interested in their business. Many online businesses find that partnering with organizations such as AARP and offering a discount is a good first step in attracting older customers.

5 Tips for Managing Freelance Contractors

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DECEMBER 17, 2013 • JERRY JAO

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Outsourcing non-core or seasonal tasks can allow you to focus on essential duties. It can also be a wise financial decision because hiring freelancers doesn’t come with full-time expenses such as equipment or benefits.

But it also has its downsides. Outsourcing often comes with time, distance, and cultural differences that create miscommunications and inefficiencies.

Below are a five tips to help manage freelance contractors.

Where to Find Freelance Contractors

Deciding how you’re going to outsource is just as important as your choice of who to hire. The two most common ways to do it is by either using a freelancing platform such as Elance or oDesk, or by retaining someone directly.

Some entrepreneurs prefer freelancing websites because they provide a platform for communication and collaboration. All parties interact and complete transactions within the site, so it offers an easier option for entrepreneurs who just want to have one go-to place for their contractors.

On the other hand, some entrepreneurs prefer to communicate via phone or email, and the idea of going through a middleman isn’t appealing. If you belong to this group, then hiring someone yourself would be a better option.

Moreover, many top professionals avoid freelancing platforms. There are exceptions, of course, but frequently sites such as Elance and oDesk provide inexpensive service providers. Contractors bid on projects, and some would be willing to match the pricing of others, or even lower their own quotes, to be awarded the job. Top-tier freelancers who command higher rates don’t want to participate in bidding wars so they tend to avoid these websites.

I prefer hiring a freelancer directly — either by using referrals or doing your own research — for big, important projects. Given the nature of these tasks, you’d be better off hiring someone who specializes in your type of business. You may even want to consider hiring a local contractor for projects that require close collaboration.

But smaller projects, such as a quick website tweak or a cover for a free ebook, can be outsourced using freelancing platforms —maybe even a simple service like Fiverr.com.

Takes Time

Recognize that there’s a learning curve for every contractor. Not every freelancer will immediately understand the nature and culture of your business. Be patient.

Use flexibility and understanding when dealing with a culture between your business and your contractor. Also resist the urge to immediately replace contractors if they don’t fit. Give them time to learn and adjust. If you keep switching every time a service provider doesn’t meet your expectations, you could end up wasting resources.

Use Collaboration Tools

Working with contractors requires tight collaboration. Fortunately, there are tools to help. For me, the following tools are critical.

• Google Docs. With shared docs, I can simultaneously work with contractors on spreadsheets, presentations, and text documents without emailing files. Since we can make edits and see what the other is doing directly from Google’s interface, we can communicate and get things done faster.

• GoToMeeting. I use GoToMeeting when I need to share my screen with service providers. It makes explaining tasks and process much easier.

• Skype. Skype has always been my go-to service for chat and video calls. It is fast, cheap, and works great. It also has a mobile app that I can use when I’m not in the office.

GoToMeeting facilitates screen sharing, among other benefits.

Communicate Clearly

When in doubt, err on the side of over-explaining. Don’t assume that your contractor knows what you’re thinking or understands your message. Spell out instructions and be as specific as possible. I usually write emails in bullet points or step-by-step directions to reduce confusion.

And whenever possible, aim to show, not tell. For instance, if you’re working with a graphic designer, send them links to sites or images that demonstrate what you like. Working with content providers? Instead of describing what you need using words, direct them to examples in books, whitepapers, or blogs.

Happy Contractors Are More Productive

Treating contractors like they’re part of the team greatly increases the quality of their output. They work harder, accomplish things faster, and they’re not afraid to offer suggestions.

Use positive feedback and reinforcement. Send them encouraging emails and recommend them on LinkedIn. If you hired them off an outsourcing platform, don’t forget to give them a positive rating and testimonial when they deserve it. For example, I’ve introduced my voice-provider for my product videos to many of my colleagues. By providing more business to her, we also solidify our business partnership.

I’ve also found that being more open improves overall productivity. As long as you’re not giving away trade secrets or sensitive information, keep your service providers informed as much as possible. This not only prevents miscommunication, it also sends the message that they belong to your team. That can do wonders for your relationship.