Worries about linguistic details are eating up your valuable time?
Should I put a comma here?
Is it they’re or their? It’s or its?
These are just examples of questions that can cause us a headache when writing important documentation or texts for brochures or websites. But whereas it probably does not hurt if you get a few things wrong in an internal document, you do not want to come off as careless in front of potential investors and customers.
But why should you bother with the details of language? Surely, everyone makes mistakes?
Of course they to, but research data also shows that:
- 74% of internet users pay attention to spelling and grammar
- Visitors spend 8% less time on a landing page if they discover spelling or grammar mistakes
- Grammar and spelling mistakes have a negative impact on first impressions and therefore the likelihood of business.
In small companies, especially ones with diverse personnel, colleagues are often asked to review important texts before they are published or sent to clients. Unfortunately, this practice distracts those people from their actual work and delays important development and design – after all, it is highly unlikely that there is a proof-reader on payroll. And if that was not enough of a problem in itself, these engineers and other professionals are not usually language experts and therefore not necessarily aware of common mistakes.
Polishing your texts until they shine? You have more important things to do.
Exactly. You should be looking after your projects and furthering development, not worrying about commas and spelling. After all, those details are what professional proof-readers are paid for.
Should you want to free yourself of the responsibility for high-profile texts, please feel free to contact me to discuss your specific needs. Or have a look at the FAQ section to find out more.