They can’t write – will they listen? I have been banging on about this business failing for years. I estimate that 70 percent of websites on the Costas lose credibility and business because of poorly written content. Depressingly few business owners do anything about it. They are trying to sell ships with holes in their hulls.

POOR SPELLING CUTS SALES BY HALF

THE BBC. July 14, 2011. An analysis of website figures shows a single spelling mistake can cut online sales in half. Charles Duncombe says “Poor spelling is costing the UK millions of pounds in lost revenue.” The online entrepreneur goes on to say: “I am shocked at the poor quality of written English.”

He says it is possible to identify the specific impact of a spelling mistake on sales. His company measured the revenue per visitor and found that revenue was twice as high after an error was corrected. “Spelling is important to the credibility of a website. When there are underlying concerns about fraud and safety, then getting the basics right is essential. Even cutting edge companies depend upon old-fashioned skills because when you sell or communicate on the internet 99% of the time it is done by the written word. Spelling is important to the credibility of the website.”

His findings are endorsed by business organisations. James Fothergill the Confederation of British Industry’s head of education and skills, warned that too many employers had to invest in remedial literacy lessons for their staff. The William Dutton Oxford Internet Institute agree: “When a consumer might be wary of span or phishing efforts, a misspelt word could be a killer issue.”