The reason minor errors in your web copy cost you customers
We once noticed a typo on the homepage of a well-known car manufacturer’s website. We emailed them as a courtesy, and they promptly corrected the error after thousands or perhaps millions of website visitors had seen it.
Aside from fleeting embarrassment on their end, the damage to their brand would be almost nothing. Why? Because they have already achieved international brand recognition and trust.
When errors like this occur on the websites of unestablished and much smaller brands, prospects are not as forgiving. They may assume that these errors reflect the value of that business—and by extension—its people, services, and products.
A simple copy error on a website can lead people to question the professionalism and competency of that business and everything it does. The consequence can be lost customers, with business owners in the dark.
It’s not just a stray typo on a website that can prompt enquiry into the value and worth of that business. It’s a broader series of clarity issues with how website copy is disorganized and how sales messages are buried in overwriting.
In fact, most people reading subpar web copy are likely unaware of any specific problems with it. All they know is that the website is not engaging, and that they’re exerting effort to find the answers they need.
YOUR WEBSITE IS YOUR SHOPFRONT
The journey from enquiry to frustration takes less than a minute before prospects bounce to a competitor’s website.
Your website is your digital shopfront. If there’s a crack in the window and litter strewn outside your building, people will automatically question the worth of your business. Likewise, should your prospects notice one or two minor errors in your web copy, they’re now primed to look for others, reinforcing a growing perception of inexperience and incompetency.
This isn’t even a conscious decision that prospects make. It’s just human nature.
Mistakes happen (we also discovered copyediting errors in a bestselling book about copyediting). The good news is that problems with web copy are an easy and instant fix.
You should never allow anyone to question your professionalism and competency because of errors on your website. Instead, take the time to ensure that your web copy is of the highest quality to reinforce the perceived value of your business.
High-quality web copy reinforces the opinion that your website visitors are in the right place, considering a quality and reputable business, and need look no further to solve their problems.
