Words Do Matter
Whatever your website offers – a product, a service, even a point of view – most people will judge it based not only on what you have written but also how you have written it. How does that affect you and your business?
What Experts Say
When I first thought about a need for this “web polishing” service, I had doubts.
I worried that my concerns about website errors were mine alone. I wondered if I might be the only person who winces when I see language glitches on a website. However, I discovered that I have plenty of company! This, the negative effect on business of website grammar glitches, typos, and spelling errors, is why I created this website. In the interests of people with text-color difficulties, the links are not only orange but are also bolded. When you hover over them they are a lighter “apricot“.
Below the “Fast Track” button are links to some articles by a variety of business experts. All of them discuss the strongly negative effects of grammar glitches. For those in haste, above each link is a quote from that article that provides a summary.
Further down is a link to a page showing responses to an informal survey about responses to grammar glitches. I don’t pretend that it was 100% scientific, but the intensity of many of the responses exceeded my expectations. The consensus is that correct use of words is crucial if a website is to give viewers a positive impression of the owner and/or business that it represents.
Potential Harm to Business
“Good grammar gives website content an air of authority.”
Grammar and Your Small Business Site
“A slapdash approach to the language used in your promotional material, which obviously includes your website, suggests a slapdash approach to other areas of your business.”
Poor Grammar is Costing you Money
“It is likely that you do not want to distract your readers from the message you are trying to convey by giving them grammar and spelling mistakes to take note of.”
The Importance of Good Grammar in Business Communications
“Spelling and grammar mistakes negatively influence your credibility.”
How Bad Spelling and Poor Grammar can Affect your SEO and Business
Blogs too!
“Your intention may be to persuade browsers to become customers, but your weak command of written English is sending the overriding message MY SLOPPY GRAMMAR MEANS I’M A SLOPPY THINKER.”
How to Scare Away all Your Potential Clients with One Blog Post
Survey of Reactions when Encountering Glitches
“I notice immediately. It’s a pet peeve and I think it must not be a professional site. I lose interest quickly.”
After all that, might it help to have an experienced copy editor – (i.e. me, Diana Gardner Robinson, Ph.D), who would survey your website and, if necessary, make recommendations regarding any grammar glitches? Again, you would make your own decisions, with complete freedom to accept my suggestions or not, as you wish.
Where Now?
Why Mistakes Happen provides some reasons why problems arise so frequently in the English language, and addresses some specific issues. Awareness of these reasons may help people to avoid some errors. Each of the sub-pages address one of what see as being a major causes o glitches.
Alternatively, About tells more about the Easy Reading process and how I work with clients. It also outlines my experience and credentials. How I work provides examples of the type of feedback I have given to prior clients, and Testimonials shows some of the feedback they have given to me. Other pages, such as Services, Contact and Blog are self-explanatory.
