Typos – Should they Matter to You and Me?
February 25, 2009 4:00 pm How to Work BetterI’ve been reading a couple of posts about whether typos in copy, text and on websites really matter. Bob Bly posted this after talking to a gym owner about his leaflet for new members. Maya Sunpongco of Design Insomnia posted this, too on her Maya & Marketability website. And the overriding answer is, definitely, yes, they matter. I have to say the same thing. Typos in text, in marketing materials, everyday correspondence and on websites really do matter. I am a stickler for correct grammar and spelling as I think it shows that the person writing the article or the letter took pride in what they were doing, as well as knowing how to use their spell checker.
I have recently been looking into booking some trips through Australia and have dismissed, maybe a little too quickly, companies and trip providers that seem to have either not bothered to check their text, or have only given it a cursory glance. My first reaction is, “You can’t be bothered to make sure your spelling is correct, are you going to be able to take care of me?” (An overreaction, maybe?!) My second reaction is, “Can I be of assistance?”
One of the ways I support my clients as a VA is by providing spell checking, proof reading and general copy advice to my clients. They could be putting together training manuals, contracts or just posting to their blog. But each time they ask me to check through their written pieces means that they are taking an active interest in how they are perceived by their readers. Taking the time to check what you have written, how it is written and how it reads matters. You never know who may be reading your article, flyer or blog…
About the Author:
Emma Crabtree is the owner and sole-operator of Red Box Virtual Office, a off-site business support service. Red Box Virtual Office can enable you to free yourself from the day to day admin of your business so that you can focus on what you enjoy and what makes you money. Find out more
Nikki Pilkington :
Date: March 27, 2009 @ 12:45 pm
I have to say that if a persona can’t look past a few typos and see the value of something they are reading then maybe they shouldn’t be doing business with that company anyway :)
I presume you don’t look at their website code and see that it’s bad? Because you’re not a web designer.
Do you look at their marketing strategy and decide not to work with them because they’ve ‘got it wrong’? Probably not, because you’re not in marketing.
Do you decide not to go into a shop because their windows aren’t clean enough? I doubt it, as you’re not a window cleaner and those shoes might be too nice to resist :)
I think you notice typos more because it’s your job. And I applaud you for that.
But if I were to choose my suppliers on their SEO / Social Media Marketing strategies, I wouldn’t have many suppliers, including my VA!
Personally I look at the value in what I am getting, whether I want or need the product and service, and leave it at that.
I have a thing about proper grammar and apostrophe use, but if I refused to buy oranges from every greengrocer that had a sign saying “Orange’s 50p a pound” then I would have a severe vitamin C deficiency!
admin :
Date: March 27, 2009 @ 1:09 pm
Thanks for your comments Nikki.
I do get up on my soap box about this because it’s my job. Clients trust me to make sure that the content on their website, ezine, marketing material is just right so that they can confidently publish it/use it etc. without people like me breathing down their necks.
If you’re a veg merchant, car salesman or musician then your job isn’t to look at grammar and spelling, it’s about selling tomatoes and cars and playing music. But if you’re advertising your wares on your attention to detail, commitment and writing ability, then it should matter that what you publish is incorrect.
That’s what gets me on to my soap box, that’s what gets me annoyed. I see it every day in emails that come into my in-box and wonder at the time it would take just to re-read and correct some glaring mistakes. And if you don’t have the time/inclination, hire someone that does.