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Want to share your experiences, advice, or ideas with the GrammarPhile community? Do you have grammar, punctuation, editing questions you'd like answered? Submit guest post ideas or questions to conni@proofreadnow.com.

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Spelling Mistakes Result in Lost Business

Posted by Conni Eversull on Thu, Jul 14, 2011 @ 09:52
  
  
  
  

I just read this article from BBC News that reports online sales are affected by spelling mistakes in website copy.  Most importantly the researcher reports that these spelling mistakes cause online sales to be cut in half. 

Here's the link to the article: http://linkd.in/qOADUv.

I don't know how scientific Mr. Duncombe's analysis is but it certainly supports our belief at ProofreadNOW.com that a company's credibility is hurt when websites and marketing brochures contain errors.

As I read the comments to the article, I found the following poem written by "T Hill" that illustrates some of the problems you can run into when relying on automated spell checkers. It gave me a chuckle and hope it makes you smile as well. Here is the poem:

Eye have a spelling chequer,
It came with my Pea Sea.
It plane lee marks four my revue
Miss Steaks I can knot sea.

Eye strike the quays and type a whirred
And weight four it two say
Weather eye am write oar wrong
It tells me straight a weigh.

Eye ran this poem threw it,
Your shore real glad two no.
Its vary polished in its weigh.
My chequer tolled me sew.

Thanks, T Hill, for a great illustration.

So readers what are your thoughts about Mr. Duncombe's analysis? Do you wonder about a company's credibility and integrity if the website is poorly written or contains spelling and grammar errors?

I know I do but then I'm clearly biased!

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Comments

Excellent example of spelling by today's generation. I see these kinds of errors in my local newspaper!
Posted @ Thursday, July 14, 2011 10:37 by Paul Atreides
I'm clearly biased as well, but I know I personally shy away from new companies if their websites or storefront signs are poorly written. One error indicates rush; several errors indicate lack of care and/or interest. With whom would you rather do business?
Posted @ Thursday, July 14, 2011 12:17 PM by Christel Hall
I totally surf away from sites that are riddled with spelling and grammar mistakes. If they can't even use an apostrophe, how are they going to manage something like keeping my credit card info secure? KWIM?
Posted @ Thursday, July 14, 2011 9:58 PM by Jen
Jen: My ignorance is showing. What does "KWIM" mean???
Posted @ Friday, July 15, 2011 9:55 by Conni Eversull
KWIM = "Know What I Mean"
Posted @ Friday, July 15, 2011 10:14 by Paul Atreides
Thanks, Paul. I now KWYM!!!
Posted @ Friday, July 15, 2011 10:25 by Conni Eversull
I'll throw in my 2 cents, as this a little close to my heart. I am really put off by websites, blog posts, ads, emails, full of spelling and grammatical mistakes. It looks very unprofessional. And I agree - would you trust your credit card to a company (or person) that does not care enough about what they are sending to have an English speaker (if they don't speak English - and it is not always these sites) do some proofreading and run a spell/grammar checker? 
 
 
 
I was reading a post where they were talking about international customers, and the page was so full of errors - nothing capitalized, no punctuation - that I sent them an email offering to correct it, and they said YES!! They even paid a little. It is hard enough to read another language without these problems on the page. 
 
 
 
But most folks, I guess, do not really care if their sites contain these problems. I know the company I worked for didn't care very much about this. And that is a shame.
Posted @ Thursday, August 11, 2011 1:38 by Karen
Thanks for your thoughts, Karen. It seems lately I've seen quite a few articles bemoaning the lack of attention paid to spelling and grammar in this digital age. I'm afraid many people think that "correct" usage equates to "stilted." But I firmly believe one can write in a conversational style and still be correct.
Posted @ Thursday, August 11, 2011 10:37 by Conni Eversull
I actually have a funny story about an email I received from a company. I was buying a signed copy of a book and at the end of the email it said "and he will of course sing his name." I started laughing so hard I had to leave the room before my Boyfriend became suspicious (I was buying it for him).
Posted @ Friday, January 27, 2012 7:50 PM by Jen
Love that story. How funny would it have been to have the author sing his name? That would have really surprised your boyfriend!
Posted @ Saturday, January 28, 2012 7:27 PM by Conni Eversull
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