Poor grammar, errant punctuation, and typographical errors all spell disaster for online sales. When it comes to Internet sales and marketing, shoddy websites filled with spelling gaffes rarely get a second chance to impress. In fact, most visitors make up their minds about the quality of a website in just six seconds. According to British Internet entrepreneur Charles Duncombe, just one spelling error on a company’s website can lead to a 50% decrease in online sales. He estimates that Internet retailers lose millions every week due to spelling slip-ups.
Consumers look to attention to detail in spelling and grammar as important indicators of a website’s credibility. Spelling mistakes and poor grammar sound alarm bells for potential customers concerned about spam or phishing. While there seems to be a more tolerant attitude toward spelling and grammar mistakes on social media sites such as Facebook, websites marketing products and services can’t afford to take a lax approach to spelling blunders.
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