Bad grammar, poor spelling and incorrect punctuation might be costing you new clients. A study by Website Planet, a web services comparison site, suggests that site visitors are twice as likely to leave a site after viewing just one page if they see spelling and grammar mistakes.

The study, conducted earlier this year, looked at over 5000 site visits during February and March. Visitors were presented with two nearly identical landing pages, except one of them contained typos and the other didn’t. The bounce rates for the error-ridden page were 85% higher than for the “clean” page. Visitors also spent 8% less time on landing pages with the errors.

In addition, the study found that people are 70% less likely to click on Google ads with typos. As a result, Google can lower the position of the unpopular listing.

Speaking to PR Week, Shira Stieglitz, Website Planet's head of content and research said "What this study tells us is that PR professionals cannot ever let their guard down because consumers are unforgiving, ever-critical, and use good spelling and grammar as a barometer for the ability of a company to deliver. It underlines the old adage that first impressions count, with consumers showing an unwillingness to give brands a second chance at making a good one.”

At Sponge NB we spend time working with our clients to make sure their business development collateral is spot on. As well as making sure that our clients’ creds, websites and pitch documents are free of typos, we make sure they are relevant and compelling to their target audience. Business Development isn’t just about making calls and sending emails; ensuring the highest quality in every possible contact point with a prospect is crucial.