Why You Need a Proofreader

How many times have you read something—a book for pleasure or copy for a website—and found an error? Maybe it’s something minor, but still, it’s an error. Of course, no one is perfect, and mistakes are going to happen, but even the smallest goof can cause big problems. Mistakes in your content can hurt your credibility and cost you money. Here’s how:

1. Let’s say you put a new product up on your website that sells for $1,000. You’ve worked long and hard to get this product to market, and it’s finally out there for the world to see! Your phone is ringing off the hook with orders! But wait—why is everyone so upset when you tell them the price? You look at your site, and find that the price for the product is listed as $100, not $1,000. Oops…now what? It’s a minor error that will end up costing you big.

OR…This same new $1,000 product is up on your site, and you’re getting absolutely no calls. What the heck? You know it’s a great product that will solve a lot of problems for your customers. Why is no one biting? Again, you peek at the website, only to find it’s been listed as $10,000. Oh boy…no wonder no one is calling! Again, lots of money in potential sales lost because of a proofreading error.

1. You’ve just opened a new restaurant. Your website is ready to go, with mouth-watering photos of your best dishes, your menu, your hour—you’re all set to tantalize diners. But, at the top of the home page, the headline reads: “Come visit us at the XYZ Restaurnat.” What? What’s that word? It’s only two letters transposed, but it’s the first thing that visitors see when they come to your page. It might not seem like a big deal, but it could be. If you don’t take good care of something as basic as your website, what else are you neglecting?

What if you’re an author with a great book? It’s a terrific story, one you’ve worked on for months, and it’s finally ready to share. You can’t wait to see the reviews! You dive into Amazon or GoodReads, and see a two-star review with this comment: “Great story, but the errors drove me nuts.” Or “I really wish this author had someone proofread this before it was released.”

Don’t leave your money, credibility, or reputation on the table because of errors in your content. If you’re looking for help with your proofreading, let’s talk. I can help. You can reach me here.