Why Use IEC?

The short answer is quality control — making sure information effectively meets its intended purpose and audience. Over time, quality communications reduce maintenance and error-correction costs, plus improve customer satisfaction, leading to increased revenue.

Here's what sets Mary Headley apart from other editorial service providers:

"I help organizations craft their written communications so that the message is more 'findable.' In today's information-packed world, valuable messages often get lost simply because there's too much information. I enjoy the challenge of seeing that doesn't happen with the things I help my clients with.

Findability has two important components:

• Focusing on the essential part of a message so that it clearly stands out and is compelling to read.
• Using carefully selected words and structures that both search engines and human researchers understand and value.

I enjoy using my educational background in journalism, business, and information science, which I think makes me uniquely qualified to help my clients make their messages more findable."

Want to know more? Below are details of some reasons to use IEC.

Q: Why hire a Web content developer for your site?

A: To make effective use of limited internal resources, because . . .

• Content is king, but it has to be kept current. Studies show that many use the Web primarily to look for information. But sites that don't keep their information current quickly lose readers. Do you have the internal staff to ensure your site is kept up to date? This includes weeding out obsolete information as well as adding new material. It's often more cost-effective to contract out for website maintenance.

• The Web is not a book. Different "rules" apply for online writing than writing geared for printed documents, and they're changing rapidly. Do you have time to keep up with this fast moving medium? Many organizations choose to focus on their core competencies and leave the Internet business to specialists.

• You cannot afford a full-time content editor or proofreader. Conventional cyber-wisdom holds that if a business is careless in the way it presents itself on its website, that carelessness may indicate poor quality in its products or services. Even if you appreciate the value an editor brings to your small business, you may not have the workload to justify the cost. Many organizations choose to contract out for this service, as needed.

Even if you already have a website, an experienced Web author can refine your ideas to create a more effective and engaging presence.

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Q: Why hire an information designer anyway?

A: To increase revenue, because . . .

• An easy-to-find website generates more traffic. Studies show that many potential buyers never reach your site, either because search engines fail to find it or else present your site far down in an overwhelmingly long list. An information designer can ensure your website is structured in a meaningful way for search engines, including the embedded metatag keywords and html structures that are so critical for Google and other search engines ("search engine optimization").
• An easy-to-use website generates more sales. Studies also show that many potential buyers never complete their intended online purchase because they get lost on a site, disturbed by intrusive queries, or frustrated waiting for pages to download. An information designer can ensure your site optimizes navigation flow, refines information requests, and reduces bloated files.

• First impressions count. Reading is work — if your sales brochure is hard to follow, who is going to bother with it? If it has errors and inconsistencies, what kind of impression will you make?

• You are losing sales due to substandard documentation. An otherwise excellent product can suffer from the poor quality of its instructional material. Don't make the mistake of "letting your engineers do it."

If your written communication isn't working, redesigning your approach may be the answer.

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Q: Why hire an editor when you already have a writer or documentation?

A: To save money, because . . .

• Errors fixed early on cost less. Studies have shown that fixing an error early in the product development cycle costs much less than fixing it after it causes a customer problem. Even the best writer needs an editor. Mistakes are almost impossible to spot by authors who invariably "see" what they intended to say. Good product development needs quality assurance — documentation does,too!

• Technical support calls costs are escalating. If users can't understand your safety manual, you end up paying. Incomprehensible jargon and omission of crucial connecting information are commonplace faults of writing done without benefit of an editor. Clearly written and tested documentation can substantially reduce customer service calls. Engineering and writing skills don't often coexist in the same individual; even when they do, is it cost-effective to ask that person to do both?

• Maintenance of your user documentation is a costly nightmare. Studies now show that often "less is more" in terms of documentation. Guides, both online and printed, that are carefully designed and pruned can reduce expenses as well as simplify updates.

It's never too late to have a professional editor review and refine your work.

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