4. Technicalities. I've said it before, but you're shooting yourself in foot if you allow spelling and punctuation errors to float around on your site. If you're not sure if you have any, find someone-anyone-with an English degree, and have them do a light edit. It's a good idea to get another pair of eyeballs on site anyway, because if you've been looking at copy for days and days, chances are you won't always spot your errors, no matter how sharp your editorial eye.

Well, that's short version of perking up your copy, no matter what length. Of course, once you've infused it with some sparkle, try to make it as economical as possible.

If you're interested in further resources to help you improve your copy, I suggest contentious.com. Editor Amy Gahran has a great eye for spotting "fluff," and does a great job keeping tabs on current content trends. http://www.contentious.com/

Contentious' sister site, Content Exchange, is also excellent. If you're getting a little woozy thinking about this writing stuff, Content Exchange features a classified ad system to match up content producers with folks in need of copy. If you're doing copy yourself, I highly recommend their online writing content discussion list: http://www.content-exchange.com/cx/html/owl.htm

Anyone who undertakes writing for any professional purpose should pick up a copy of Strunk and White's Elements of Style, as well as one of other excellent writing guides on market. One of best is Stephen Wilbers' "Keys to Great Writing." Wilbers guide includes five keys to effective writing (economy, precision, action, music, and personality), five elements of composition (purpose, point of view, organization, support, and coherence), grammatical terms, a checklist for writing with style, a checklist for proofreading, and a list of writing resources.

Stefene Russell is a freelance writer living in Salt Lake City, Utah. She has worked as a print journalist and as Senior Content Producer for citysearch.com. For a free website analysis, email her at stefene@drnunley.com or for a detailed analysis, visit http://www.fixmywebsite.com/analysis.htm

3) BE UNDERSTANDABLE

Don't make mistake that everyone will totally understand your web site message. Your web site should contain a short, descriptive summary at top of your home page.

You should always repeat your main selling points at least three times, so people understand them. Use short words, sentences, paragraphs and plenty of examples to get your point across.

QUICK READ SUMMARY

1) Don't load your web site full of high-tech clutter and gadgets.

2) Don't use unnecessary words or phrases on your site.

3) Don't make mistake that everyone will totally understand your web site message.