One Huge Mistake Business Owners Make

You’ve got a big idea, and you can’t wait to share your product with the world. You’ve got the website ready to launch, your online store is ready to roll, and a queue of interested customers are already lined up waiting to learn more about your services. In your head, you can hear your mentor’s voice remind you, “don’t get it perfect! Just get it done!” Ready, set, publish!

WAIT!

You spent so much time writing about your product or service—thoughtfully adding content to every box in the template on your website portal. You even had a friend read it over so you know it makes sense, and ran it through editing software. You are sure that this site, the face of your business, is exactly what’s missing from your industry, and your landing page will drive the customers to your inbox.?

But there is one thing that you didn’t think to do, and it’s a crucial last step that many business owners skip to their detriment. You didn’t hire an editor.?

The internet hates grammar experts. There is another, less savory term floating around that I won’t use for folks like me whose eyes bleed every time an apostrophe is used to pluralize a word. We are vilified as snobby know-it-alls who argue way too much about something called an Oxford comma. And sure, some of my people gleefully troll casual social media posts, ready to pounce on the first “Merry Christmas from the Smith’s” post they see. But when it comes to a consumer-facing page or advertisement, you don’t have to be an editor to notice bad grammar and typos—discerning customers, the very ones you want to attract, will too.?

The first encounter your customer will likely have with your business is your website, and if it is marred with mistakes or poorly-worded descriptions, you will immediately look unprofessional and unpolished in their eyes. If you don’t care enough to catch mistakes in your own work, how can they trust you to avoid them if they hire you??

“So what,” you may ask, “if I don’t remember the difference between ‘your’ and ‘you’re’? I’m not trying to get hired as a writer!”?

It doesn’t matter if you’re a plumber, a baker, or a real estate agent; your level of expertise is on display the minute public eyes land on your page, and it doesn’t matter what you are selling.?

The fact is, even the world’s most expert writers rely on experts to make their writing better.?

Every news article, advertisement and book you read passes through several stages of editorial notes—sometimes for content, sometimes for copy. Editors work with the world’s best authors to help them dig a little deeper, to expand on what will likely most interest a reader. A good copy editor catches that editor’s mistakes. And even then, yes, even then, mistakes go to print. And nothing haunts a writer more than the ghosts of mistakes that slipped past so many expert eyes.?

Imagine you are an actor. You’ve hustled for decades to get to a level where you’re doing a press tour for a film you’re really proud of. Your movie gets a ton of attention, and before you know it, you’re being invited to all the awards shows! This is your chance to make an impression on everyone from studio execs to the general public. Because you’ve worked so hard, you know the value of this moment. You know you must be and look your best. So, you pull a dress you wore to a corporate event eight years ago out of the back of your closet, throw on some mascara and hit the red carpet!?

EDIT!

There is a reason celebrities thank their hair and makeup artists, and credit designers and their stylist for the gown. These professionals know that to seize the moment, they must put their best face forward. They hire experts to apply the foundation, pick their best colors, and coordinate a head-to-toe “lewk” that will ensure they stand out in a good way. As a business owner, your face is your website. It is your brand, and you want it to stand out in a good way.?

Luckily, the cost of having an expert take a look at your content before you publish will not cost as much as getting red carpet-ready. According to website Editor World, professional editing services for around 5,000 words can cost between $170 and $500 (with a one-day turn around). A quick Google search for “website proofreader” yielded results as low as $100 for basic services. An additional step you might consider is working with an editor for your social media content as well. This process can be as easy as writing out a quick post, leaving it in draft, and having your editor-on-call take a look before you blast that special holiday deal out to your 300,000 followers.?

As an editor, I have worked with authors, entrepreneurs, content creators, and enormous hospital chains. The one thing my clients have all had in common is wanting their final product to be a shining example of their expertise. No matter what your product or goal is, make sure you show the world you at your best, and hire a stylist, a make-up artist, and a good editor to help you shine.