October 2011
Volume 6, Issue 5
In this issue
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Who's Behind That Company?
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Did You Know? Archived Websites
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Writing for the Web
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Ask TSW: Formatting Internet-Related Words
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Professional Proofreading of Websites
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Did You Know? Webpages That Suck
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TSW Tidbits
 Who's Behind That Company?
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Too often, websites are created with outstanding content while ignoring the most crucial aspect: the “About Us” page.
An “About Us” page typically includes information about the company and its history; the pae should also include the owner’s name and biography. When the owner is not identified, some visitors may suspect that the company has something to hide, or is not proud of its ownership.
Bryan Elsenberg writes, “When a customer clicks on your ‘About Us’ page, she's giving you permission to talk to her about your company.” He adds, “An ‘About Us’ page is a tremendous opportunity to cement a relationship with many prospective customers. It can put a human face on an otherwise technical, dry, and impersonal page.” He suggests showing the human side of a company, telling the company’s story, reflecting the company’s passion and personality, and allowing customers inside the company.
Since it is so easy to set up a website these days, an “About Us” page is also a valuable tool to help your readers decide if your website, and your company, is trustworthy. As TSW owner Trudy Suggs says in an April 2010 column, “The bottom line for me is transparency. Just like any company—Deaf-run or not—I always like to know who the owner is, the owner’s background, and what the company’s practices and philosophy are. On top of that, I want to ensure that the company is respectful of people’s cultures, languages and values. This type of transparency and authenticity is what makes me feel comfortable and proud to do business with a company.”
Sources: http://www.clickz.com/clickz/column/1691484/the-power-about-us-page and http://www.trudysuggs.com/2010/04/15/name-that-company/
Did You Know? Archived Websites
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People can use the Internet Archive (www.archive.org) to take a trip down memory lane. The Internet Archive is a San Francisco-based non-profit founded to build an Internet library. Its purposes include offering permanent access for researchers, historians, scholars, people with disabilities, and the general public to historical collections that exist in digital format. For fun, look up early website versions for companies such as Google, or even universities like Gallaudet University; Gallaudet's website dates back to 1996.
Writing for the Web
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 Writing for the Internet isn’t always as easy as it seems. With such a broad audience, it can be daunting trying to figure out how to make your content appropriate and interesting. Author and expert Gerry McGovern offers a few tips at his website; below are excerpts.
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Writing for the Web is different. When viewing a new page, [people] don’t read—they scan. They look at headings and subheadings first; they scan for hyperlinks, numerals, and keywords. They jump around, scrolling and clicking—their fingers never far from the browser’s “Back” button. The word that best describes their behavior is: impatient. The challenge for the web writer is to overcome readers’ impatience by keeping things as brief as possible.
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Shorter is better. The key difference between writing for the Web and writing for offline readers is that web writing needs to be shorter. Documents intended for online reading should rarely be longer than 1,000 words. If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.
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Be direct. People on the Web are usually looking for information, and if you make it easy to find, they will thank you. If you make it hard to find by burying what you actually want to communicate in the second or third paragraph, no one may read your article at all: Research shows that web readers scan pages before they read anything, meaning they may scan right past your article if it doesn't have a straightforward heading or introduction that includes keywords about your topic.
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Use headings that work. A good [heading] makes it easier for readers to find your article, and much more likely that they will read what you have written. People don't begin to read your web article by accident. Potential readers will usually come to your article either from a crowded webpage—where your article is just one of several clickable elements—or worse still, from a page full of search engine results. If your heading doesn't grab them, you lose them—probably forever. Freelance Switch states that on the average, only 20% of people who read the headline will read the copy.
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Web paragraphs are different. Among the most important elements. . .for online reading is paragraph length. The ideal paragraph length depends not only on the kind of writing you're doing and the style and tone you adopt, but also on the format and medium in which you're writing. Different kinds of writing demand different average paragraph lengths. . . . on the Web—generally speaking—shorter is better.
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Keep your sentences simple. One of the best ways to make your writing web friendly is to keep your sentences short and simple. . . .the intent is to communicate as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Sources: http://www.gerrymcgovern.com/guide_write_01.htm and http://freelanceswitch.com/finding/online-freelance-sales/
Ask TSW: Formatting Internet-Related Words
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A reader asks: I see so many different ways to format Internet-related words like “internet” and “e-mail.” Could you set the record straight?
That is a question with many answers. Historically, these words have been written as:
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e-mail (with the hyphen)
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Internet (capitalized)
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Web site (capitalized W, two words)
However, recent stylebooks and dictionaries have published new guidelines. For instance, the Associated Press (AP) Stylebook—one of the most used stylebooks by media outlets—now cites the following in its 2011 version:
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Email (no hyphen)
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website (no capitalization, one word)
The AP Stylebook has about 40 entries in its new online/social media section. Many publications no longer capitalize “Internet,” such as Wired Magazine. However, the New York Times announced it would stick with “e-mail,” “Web,” and “Internet”; see its March 22, 2011 blog entry for more.
The best bet is to go with your preferred stylebook, and recognize that words often evolve.
Have a question about American Sign Language, English or writing? Send your question to news@tswriting.com. We'll try to answer your question in an upcoming issue.
 Professional Proofreading of Websites
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Creating a website can be ridiculously easy, yet many companies overlook a very important step: having their websites proofread and edited by a professional. There are countless websites by excellent companies that have a lot to offer—yet the websites have contents that are poorly written and/or edited.
Proofreading is not a matter of simply having someone fluent in English look over the grammar. Just as you would not bring your car in for a tune up to simply anyone who owns a wrench, you do not want to hire just anyone who happens to know English. A proofreader specializes in reviewing items such as:
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Consistency in word usage (for example, do you use Deaf or deaf, and do you use that choice consistently? How about words like VRS—does this stand for video relay service or services?)
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Consistency in font choice, color and size
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Brevity, clarity and flow
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Navigation ease
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Proper citations
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Grammar and spelling
It may not be the best idea to always rely on friends, colleagues or family members to help; they may either be too biased or too familiar with the subject. Rather, bring in a neutral proofreader who has had formal training in proofreading, has an eagle eye (or two), and will give honest feedback on the quality of your web contents.
TSW provides proofreading, editing and writing services for website contents. For rates or a free consultation, contact info@tswriting.com.
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Web content isn’t just about the information on the page; it’s also about design. Webpages That Suck is a hilarious website takes jabs at poorly designed websites. See if you agree with the commentaries at http://www.webpagesthatsuck.com.
TSW Tidbits
Another addition to the TSW family
TSW owner Trudy Suggs and her husband Randy Shank welcomed their fourth child, Maise, on October 6. Congratulations!
V isit TSW at Facebook and Twitter!
Visit TSW's Facebook page at www.facebook.com/tswriting and click on LIKE (on top of the page next to the company name). TSW also has a Twitter account at www.twitter.com/tswriting (or @tswriting).
Get 10% Off on Your Next Project! Referral Program
Get 10% off on your next project with TSW’s referral program. Current clients who refer people to TSW are eligible for a 10% discount on their next project. Note: the discount will be applied only if the referral is a first-time client. For more information, contact info@tswriting.com.
About TSW
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T.S. Writing Services, LLC, is a Deaf-owned company that provides writing, editing, design and translation services in American Sign Language and English. For more information, visit www.tswriting.com. We can also be found on Facebook at www.facebook.com/tswriting, or on Twitter at www.twitter.com/tswriting.
Questions or suggestions about this e-newsletter may be sent to the editor at news@tswriting.com.
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