Punctuation mistakes to avoid on a website

Melanie Robin
September 21, 2022
5:46 p.m.
0 comments

Are you making these punctuation mistakes without knowing it? We are not always aware that the rules of punctuation also govern digital writing. A storefront is the first thing a customer sees. Tell yourself that in virtual life, in this case on your website, it's the same. Your showcase on the web does not escape the discerning eye of Internet users 24 hours a day. Text with random or even non-existent punctuation confuses your business messages. I invite you to read on to find out how to easily correct these errors.

Why is the punctuation of a site important?

Your presence on the web must leave nothing to chance. Your brand identity depends on the quality of your editorial content. Whether you own an e-commerce site or a showcase site, eliminate these punctuation errors that harm your image!

Digital punctuation: give rhythm to your texts

Like a musical score, punctuation links words together until the desired musicality is achieved. It includes pause times, accelerations, stops. The ultimate goal ? Create harmonious, melodious and pleasant texts for your audience to read.

Editorial quality, the keystone of websites

Google and Internet users are becoming more and more demanding about the quality of web content. A text optimized for natural referencing meets search intent users and obeys the rules of the French language : spelling, grammar, syntax, etc. Don't forget the punctuation! Sites with poor, gibberish content don't appear in search results.

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Punctuation mistakes to avoid on the web

These classic mistakes impoverish your content without you realizing it! Just like a conductor, you must direct the music of the words.

1) Neglecting punctuation and spaces

Here is an overview of the signs that often make us hesitate between a space before, after, both, or none at all.

# The point

The end point (.) is not preceded by a space, but followed by a space after.

# The comma

The comma (,) is never preceded by a space, but always followed by a space after it.

# The semicolon

The semicolon (;) is preceded by a non-breaking space before and followed by a space after. Warning: it is not Never followed by a capital letter.

# The ellipsis

The three ellipsis points (... And not one more) are never separated by a space. There is no space before, but a space after.

# The colon

The double point (:) is preceded by a non-breaking space before and followed by a space after.

# The question mark

Question mark (?) is preceded by a non-breaking space before and followed by a space after.

# The exclamation point

The exclamation point (!) is preceded by a non-breaking space before and followed by a space after.

# The percentage symbol

The percent sign (%) has a non-breaking space before and a space after.

# The symbol of the euro

The acronym of the euro (€) has a non-breaking space before and a space after.

# Parentheses

Parentheses () are used in this way:

one space before the opening parenthesis, no space after it;
no space before the closing parenthesis, one space after.

# Quotes

French double chevron quotation marks (“”) are used this way:

a space before the opening quotation mark, a non-breaking space after it;
a non-breaking space before the closing quotation mark, a space after it.

How to make a non-breaking space on a website?

Meet sometimes truncated punctuation marks on your web pages? For example, an isolated (and somewhat rebellious) exclamation point at the start of a line. It is for this reason that the unbreakable space is of valuable use. This typographic sign places a space between words, symbols and signs to avoid an unsightly break. Please note, this is not a “simple space” created using the space bar on your keyboard. How to do ? Here is the command :

➡️ Windows and PC: ALT 255.

Place the cursor in front of the sign, hold the ALT key, type 255 on your number pad to the right of your keyboard, release the ALT key.

➡️Mac: ALT SPACE.

Of the plugins support non-breaking spaces. Before installing an extension, always make sure it is compatible with your CMS version (WordPress, etc.).

2) Sloppy punctuation of bulleted lists

Punctuation errors also include bullet points. They air out your content and make it easier readability on screen. This is a point to take into account for user experience. Internet users and search engine robots love it.

Here's how to present a bulleted list:

sentences start with a lowercase letter;
list items end with a semicolon;
the last element of the list ends with a period.

3) Ignore the punctuation of the abbreviation “Et cetera”

The adverbial phrase " and so on " means “and other things”. It is placed at the end of an enumeration when it includes other similar elements. Its spelling is often overlooked by website owners. In short form, we write it like this: " etc. », with a single point. The abbreviation is always preceded by a comma.

➡️ For example: the cultural season is in full swing with concerts, workshops, aperitif dinners, guided tours, etc.

4) Multiply exclamation points

Adding exclamation points one after the other does not improve the listening quality of your message. Quite the contrary!

What some call “ extraneous noise » can be felt as an intrusion, or even aggressiveness. On a professional site, it is advisable to avoid the excessive use of exclamation points.

Accentuation of capital letters: the forgotten ones

This is not part of punctuation errors strictly speaking, but it is of capital importance: skip the accents on capital letters. Did you know that it is a spelling mistake ? Yes, forget what you learned at school! According to'French Academy, emphasis must be placed on capital letters. Whether on paper or on the web, capital letters adorned with their accents improve readability of content. It must be said that omitting an accent can radically change the meaning of a sentence. You never remember keyboard shortcuts? Don't panic, download the Chrome extension “Accentuated capitals”.