The more permanent a piece of writing is expected to be, the more important it is that it be error-free.
The Post-it® on your fridge doesn’t have to contain correctly-formed English (although some smart-alec might point any shortcomings out to you).
At the other end of the spectrum, artifacts such as the Bible, the American Constitution, and coins and banknotes are a tad more permanent and likely to enjoy wider circulation than your shopping list, so greater care needs to be taken.
Errors occur. As I write this, I’m looking at a picture of a Chilean coin, on which the country is spelled “Chiie”. Apparently, there is an error on the Lincoln Memorial – an “E” was engraved where an “F” should have been. There have been many printing errors in various editions of the Bible – Wikipedia has a summary, which includes “The Wife-beater’s Bible”, the [blessed are the] “Place-makers’ Bible”, and the “Adulterous Bible”.
My point though, is that these errors are rare, and they’re noteworthy for both their rarity and their prominence.
Just imagine trying to recall all the copies if the Star Wars opening contained writing faults:
As it is, I question the four dots at the end of the blue text in the real version. And in versions other than the original release, “rebel” at the top of the second paragraph has an upper case “R”, a change that puzzles me.
How Does This Relate to Your Organization?
Let’s assume that you run a company called “XYZ Ltd.” Your website is the world’s window into your business, whether or not you have a physical (bricks-and-mortar) store.
The quality of your website’s material (written, pictorial, layout) will contribute towards the impression that its visitors will gain. If you use brochures or flyers, they will have a similar effect.
If your website has a huge banner that says something like …
XYZ Makes You’re Money Goe Twice as Far!!!
… I would click away straight away. If it was on your flyer, it’d be in the recycle bin so fast it might catch fire.
The errors I put in that banner sample are (I hope!) glaringly obvious. But less obvious errors in the smaller print will also bother the people who spot them – and there are many who will.
“Spelling Mistakes ‘Cost Millions’ In Lost Online Sales”
This BBC website article claims that something as simple as spelling mistakes on a website costs millions in lost sales for businesses collectively.
The article cites one measurement where the revenue per visitor to a website doubled after a spelling mistake was corrected. It goes on to make a connection between a business not paying attention to the basics (spelling and grammar) and the effect that it has on the potential customer’s confidence in the underlying safety of the website (i.e. fraud, scam, etc.). Once the seed of doubt is planted, the visitor surfs out (and presumably purchases from another supplier).
The Solution?
One solution is to employ an infinite number of monkeys with typewriters and hope they come up with the good stuff sooner or later.
The more cost- and time-effective option is to hire someone with the knowledge and skills necessary to catch and fix the mechanical errors in your text. While they’re at it, they may well lay the material out better, and revise the wording to make it more catchy or relevant.
If the BBC article is to be believed, this simple investment has the potential to double your revenue per visitor.
May I Be Part of Your Solution?
My preferred engagement model might fit your business’s requirements. I welcome short or part-time contracts, working either remotely (in my own office) or in your office if it is easily commutable from Okotoks, Alberta. You can find more information about me here and my engagement model here.