When you come across a park sign that says, ‘No dog balls, bicycles, skateboards allowed in the park’ you get a pretty clear picture of why punctuation is so important. Not only does it mean less embarrassment for our four-legged friends, punctuation gives rhythm and reason to your writing so that readers can relax and get into the whole point of whatever it is you’re writing about.
Paying attention to punctuation and grammar is the cornerstone of good writing. And good writing is something that’s particularly important when it comes to business communications. Why? Because the quality of the writing you display on your website, marketing materials, blogs, social media, annual reports, white papers, tenders – just about everything you can think of, really – forms an overall impression in the reader’s mind of the quality of your business.
Remember, you’re trying to not only connect with potential customers but get them to stick around and keep reading to find out more. Much research conducted over the past few years has concluded that poor grammar, bad spelling and inadequate punctuation are big turnoffs. For example, according to Website Planet, the bounce rate for landing pages with sub-standard grammar and spelling is an appalling 85% more than for those that were well-written and without mistakes. In other words, the fact is that visitors simply go elsewhere to find a provider who has clearly put some time and effort into getting it right.
And why shouldn’t that provider be you? Well, the good news is that it can be. One sure fire way to make a great impression is to invest in the services of a professional business writer. The word ‘invest’ is used wisely here because opting to use a professional wordsmith really is not so much a cost as an investment in your business. Once they’ve got the content of your business communications to hit the right tone and style and you’re happy that the right message has been conveyed (all error-free, naturally), you’ll have a whole heap of content that you can use again and again.
One last thing. Many business owners mistakenly believe that professional business writers can write in one style only: stuffy and overly-formal. Kind of like when a solicitor writes to you. But the reality is that you’re in the driving seat. Simply have a chat about what you want your message to achieve and the audience you’re hoping to capture and you’re already half-way there. It really is much easier than you think and your business will certainly benefit as a result.