I’ve heard many a webmaster or blogger discuss how grammar isn’t important online, or that it’s only important for “serious” websites. Well, if you don’t take your website seriously, who will?
80% of Webmasters Agree – Grammar Is Important Online
A few weeks ago, I ran a poll on twitter asking whether or not grammar was an important factor in online content.
Out of those that answered, 80% agreed with me that grammar is important for online writing.
While it can be a drag to learn, using grammar effectively online is the same as creating a website design. You are using the “standards” to build a foundation for your overall expression. Think of grammar as HTML or CSS – it’s your writing mark-up language.
Another example would be building a house. Do you want your house made out of mud and straw, or brick and mortar? Grammar creates a foundation for your content to rest upon, and allows people to understand you.
Don’t get me wrong – rules were made to be broken. However, they must first be understood. Once you have a good grasp of sentence structure, you can manipulate it to become a better writer than you could ever dream.
Here’s the thing – great writing isn’t visible to the naked eye. Everyone can tell if your writing is crap. Great writing, however, gets the point across subconsciously. People look at it and say “yep, that’s what’s what.” You can’t argue with great writing. You can analyze and debate it, but you can’t dismiss it entirely.
If you really want to improve your writing – learn the rules of grammar. Some of them are actually kind of interesting, and you will be able to express your thoughts and opinions more clearly than ever before!
What Do You Think?
How do you feel about grammar online? Do you strive to proof read your works? Share your thoughts and opinions below!
That’s spooky – I was literally just thinking about some of the bad grammar on some blogs that stop me wanting to read them. I completely agree with you on this one, albeit being dyslexic I sometimes do trip up, haha.
However I do read my posts quite a few times on publishing them, and normally pick up any errors. Grammar is second to none to having a great blog.
@Dan
I agree that grammar is an extremely important aspect of running any kind of website. People need to be able to understand your copy, and grammar helps build that.
You are absolutely right. One of the big problems with younger people these days is the fact they do not care how they construct sentences nor do they care about spelling.
I completely understand that in instant messaging we all shorten words and groups of words to make it faster to chat, but when writing articles and even forum posts they should not. In fact to many times I see forum posts from so called experts that cannot even spell to save their own lives. How do these people expect anyone to listen to them and take them as credible if they cannot simply write correctly.
Isn’t it ironic the first sentence in your “Grammar” article has some flaws?
“I’ve heard many a webmaster or blogger discuss…”
@MichaelR
That isn’t grammatically incorrect. You can use the expression “many a” in writing.
Grammar is very important because your text is what represents you as a person, as well as your business. If you use an intelligent vocabulary that is understood by the majority, along with proper grammar and spelling – you’re presenting yourself well and it helps move you toward success.
I don’t profess to know the intricacies of semi-colons and predicate phrases (I have no idea what that even means) and therefore, I’m no grammar Nazi. HOWEVER, basic writing skills should be a requirement for anyone writing anything, ever. (The exception would be people whose niche has to do with a demographic who enjoy that kind of style. But that’s a whole separate issue!) It’s amazing how many people in this world don’t recognize simple errors in spelling and grammar, and it drives me nuts. Even if I’m not going to a “serious” meeting, I still try to speak audibly and well enough to convey my point. Even if you don’t run a “serious” website, you should still have the pride and respect for yourself (and your website) to communicate in a way that represents the both of you in a positive, and professional manner. I love your post, but the fact that it even needs to be put down in writing saddens me to some extent