Day 4 of Living Media's 11 Tips to Make Your Website a Success

Your website is your shop window and used effectively it can be a real asset to your company, business or organisation. But if used badly it can be an embarrassing nuisance hanging around your neck and weighing your company down.

At Living Media Liverpool, we want to help make your website something that you can be proud of. Today we look at how spelling and grammar can make an impact on your web views.

Spelling and Grammar is important!

Wot's rong with this sentance den? Just about everything really! We all struggle with spelling and grammar from time to time. I bet I’ve even made some mistakes writing this! You can get away with the little ones, but people will notice the big mistakes and they won’t be impressed. If you’re not sure, ask someone who is or buy a dictionary. Trust me, it makes a big difference.

Nowadays, it's very easy to make spelling and grammar mistakes without even realising it. We've become so used to 'Text Speak' that we often take shortcuts when it comes to spelling, punctuation and grammar which can be extremely damaging to our website.

Really bad spelling can affect your search ratings on Google. If you have spelt key words wrong on your site, then I'm afraid you are not going to see the returns you deserve. It's worth proofreading your content a few times to make sure you haven't made any silly mistakes.

Grammar is harder to correct. Things like apostrophes, commas and semi-colons are an absolute minefield. You could spend a lifetime studying grammar and still make stupid mistakes! We know it's not easy, so here's a quick guide to help you out!

• Its and It's - Only use "it's" when you want to say "it is." E.g It's our mission to provide great service for our customers.
• Apostrophes - You should only use an apostrophe for 2 reasons. 1) When the word is a contraction of two words e.g. This toat's burnt (meaning "this toast is burnt") 2) To show ownership of something e.g. Betty's Cupcakes. DO NOT use an apostrophe to indicate a plural e.g. CDs should not be written as CD's
• There, they're, their - There means a location e.g. Over there! They're means 'they are' e.g. they're our main competitiors. Their means belonging to someone e.g. It's their business.
• Alot - This is not a word. Use 'a lot' instead.

This is not a definitive guide, but I hope it has been some use! Remember, if you're in trouble, look it up!

Research shows that visitors to websites are instantly put off by bad spelling and grammar. Don't let this happen to you! Make sure your spelling and grammar is as close to perfect as you can make it.

Tags: spelling and grammar advice, spelling and grammar guide, spelling and grammar tips, website tips, website design, website advice