Principles

1. Understand context of use

2. Choose what to say

3. Slash everything else

4. Edit sentences

5. Put into logical order

6. Demolish walls of words

7. Choose links

8. Check consistency

9. Rest it then test it

8. Check consistency

When you're editing something that spans several pages, it's easy to find that inconsistencies have crept in. Weed them out again.

Same name = same thing;
different name = different thing;
no similar names.

When we first learned to write, we were taught that 'elegant variation' helped to make writing more interesting. But web users are mostly too busy to learn more than one name for any product or concept on your site. So be consistent in the names you use.

On the other hand, it is extra confusing if you use similar names for the same thing. Make sure that different things have names that are clearly distinguished from each other.

Launch and land on the same name

The page that you arrive on from a link must match the link that you clicked.

Tips and cautions

Make sure that the terms that you use are understood by your users - and understood in the same way as you intend.

Think about whether you need a glossary.