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Tips and Checklist for
Creating Quality Content for the Internet
Inevitably there are a number of little, and not so little, website administrative and maintenance tasks related to content that are hard to find time to tackle during the year. Here is a Website Maintenance Checklist and Tips.
Check if your Titles are in place and also if they are appropriate in relation to the content.
Check if your tags: Meta tags, Title tags and Description tags are in order.
Check that you have used the correct template and format for the page.
Make sure you’ve done your homework on Word Tracker and have the most relevant keywords on your page
Check that you have used the correct styles (i.e. css) If styles were not used, then check if the font, size, color and style of your content matches the default font on the website.
Check on the format and style of images, charts, pictures etc. Consistency shows a professional finish.
Check if other website links on the page open on a new window. (Otherwise our visitors would unintentionally exit our website)
Check if the URLs to the links are correct.
Check that you have added appropriate includes or submenu includes to the page.
Have you linked the page to appropriate menus, submenus, sitemap, or include files?
Check facts on your content and make sure it has the latest information.
Review your content with the audience in mind
Add content to alt tag
Double check spelling etc. in description
Write description so that it causes anticipation in the reader
The title is important so include enough keywords in the title
Use H1 tag
Check spacing and make sure it is consistent.
Make sure two other people check everything again
Scanning: Where you just scan through the article not reading sentences completely in your mind so you are not involved with this content. This is useful for checking spelling and grammar
Random read: Randomly read various portions of the content.
Check for change in person i.e. shift from 1 st person to 3 rd person etc. This is common while compiling data from various sources
Again if you are extracting short snippets of data from other sources check for references that may not exist. E.g. Refer to fig. 3 (which may not even exist)
While writing it is useful to keep the objective in mind, for example do you want to merely inform the user or, educate him or present your perspective or convince him of something
It is better to undersell than over sell. Be cautious when using superlatives
Some strategies to proof-read your content: Sometimes one proofreading isn't enough. Here are four techniques used by educators and editors to ferret out flaws: You'll be surprised at how different proofreading techniques highlight different problems.
View your content the way your audience will view your content. In the case of Web content, that means viewing your new content with a browser. Is the text readable? Too long to read on a monitor?
Proof the old-fashioned way - print a copy. Computers provide content creators with a variety of tools and shortcuts, but experienced editors still know that proofreading on a computer leads to more mistakes. Print a hard copy of your content and use a red pen to indicate corrections.
Read your writing aloud. Embarrassing? Find a quiet room. Research in education has demonstrated that reading a written piece out loud is an extremely effective way to catch "camouflaged" style errors — repetitive word use, uneven flow, and confusing sentence structure. Reading your text aloud will not only help you check for mechanical errors, it will help you write with style.
Read the page backward. Start from the last word on the page and read backward. This prevents you from becoming distracted by the content of the sentence.
Double-check Your Spelling Checker: Spelling checker utilities have been a standard word processing feature for years, and many users find them very helpful. Still, avoid the tendency to over-rely on automated spelling checkers, especially when producing important business materials for the public. Three particular problems often occur with this kind of software:
Check new, foreign, and other unfamiliar words: The Internet generates new words and jargon every week, and most of it won't pass the spelling checker regardless of whether they are correct or not. Don't just ignore them; check your spelling against websites, newspapers, and other sources that use these words. If you plan to use them often, add them to your computer's spelling checker function. (In Microsoft Word, right-click on the word and select <Add>.)
Identify "false friends" — right spelling for the wrong word. Visually proofread for incorrect words spelt correctly. For example, a simple error like typing "though" instead of "thought" will fool the spelling checker but not your audience.
Look for words your spelling checker can't "see." Don't forget to proofread the text in your graphics and illustrations. Because images are eye-catching — that's probably why you've used them — any blunders you make here will attract a lot of attention.
Check Grammar and Usage: Grammar-checking utilities, like the one in Microsoft Word, are much less reliable than spelling checkers, so be sure to proofread for grammatical errors, incorrect word choice, and other writing gaffes. Here are several online reference sources on English grammar and language use:
The Slot — A Spot for Copy Editors: Tips, tools, and other resources for copy editors. A useful site for anyone striving after quality grammar, usage, and style in their writing.
University of Victoria — Writer's Guide Exhaustive guide to correct English grammar and usage. Includes recent updates on writing and citing for Internet materials.
Chillibreeze's disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not reflect the views of Chillibreeze as a company. Chillibreeze has a strict anti-plagiarism policy. Please contact us to report any copyright issues related to this article.
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