What Can an Editor Do for My Website?

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When someone mentions copyeditors, the first things that come to mind are probably books or magazine and newspaper articles. But we work on so much more.
If it involves the written word and is presented to the public, chances are it could benefit from an editor’s touch.
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Admittedly, there are some things that just aren’t worth paying a professional for, but what about your website?
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What is the purpose of your website?

Perhaps you just have a website as a fun little hobby, in which case proceed with your misspellings and creative punctuation!

But for the majority of us, our websites are the face we show the world. They’re how we present ourselves to potential clients, where we sell our goods, how we reach the world beyond our tiny little corner. Essentially, our websites are a major component of our livelihoods.

​So, what does it say to your clients if your website copy is full of errors? One or two small mistakes are understandable (we’re all only human, after all), but more than that starts to look unprofessional, careless, and (however incorrectly) unintelligent.
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What can an editor do for your website?

Obviously, a copyeditor would go through the web copy, correcting grammar and punctuation, but that’s not all.

Professional editors are trained to catch inconsistencies and things that might trip a reader up. They could catch a product or element being described different ways on different pages.

​And though they’re not web designers, they can point out broader problems like font, color, and layout choices that make your website unappealing or difficult to read.

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​And best of all, it doesn’t have to take tons of time and money. Unless your website contains extensive amounts of copy, like a blog, an edit can be done fairly quickly and inexpensively.

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​Rebecca Miller is a professional copyeditor and general fan of all things having to do with the written word and the English language.
You can check out her website at Oakdale Editing or connect through Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, or Email.