Copywriting and House Style
You’re sitting on your sofa and you notice a crack in the wall opposite you. It starts just below the ceiling in the corner and can be no more than an inch long but now you’ve spotted it you’ll notice that crack every time you sit down. Why? Your house is unlikely to fall down because of such a tiny crack, water won’t get in and no one else is likely to see it.
But now you know it’s there you’ll notice it every time.
This kind of annoyance can happen on your website too. Tiny inconsistencies in style or presentation can bother people enough to go elsewhere. In business, ‘this-will-do’ simply won’t do.
The term ‘house style’ is usually used in newspaper and magazine offices. It refers to the way words are presented and it is used to ensure the style and presentation of the writing is always the same.
The benefits of having a consistent house style in your website copy are multiple – it can…
· Help to define your brand
· Increase your visitors’ trust in your business
· Reduce or eliminate the amount of mistakes on your site
· Increase the coherence of your site.
Normally, when a writer takes a job at a newspaper or magazine they are issued with a house style sheet. The house style sheet lists all specific ways the newspaper presents certain words. For example does your site use the American English spelling of words ending in ‘ize’ or the British English way of ending in ‘ise’? Do you use bullet points or dashes? Do you hyphenate certain words or write them as one? These may seem like minor things to worry about when you’re setting up your site but keeping your presentation in your copy consistent is another way to reassure visitors that you’re the real deal.
Check your site for patterns in the way you present words and then create a check list so every word you write follows the same patterns. Then you have your very own house style sheet.