If English is your second language here’s a little advice for when you write it. English is the main language in use on the internet so if you’re writing online or for print publications here are a few things to consider.

1. Never use an automated online translator

Online translators are great for translating things back into your own language so that you can understand them. They aren’t fantastically accurate but they give you a good idea what the writer is trying to say. However, if you use it to translate your words into English the results may be misleading, insulting or just plain unprofessional. None of these will make you look good. Furthermore, you know what you were trying to say but you have no idea if that is what it does say.

2. Proof read carefully – then get someone else to do the same

Simple errors look bad and don’t inspire confidence but are easy to overlook when we read our own work. Our brains see what we think should be there and not what is there. Get someone else to read it and they will be better able to spot errors that you have missed.

3. Use short simple sentences.

There is less to go wrong in a short sentence and you are more likely to be understood. Remember, your readers wont all be native speakers and may struggle with complicated sentences. Also, this is in keeping with good web writing practice where the amount of text should be only 10% of what you would put in a printed document.

4. Use either US spellings or UK – not both

There are many words (like colour / color ) that are spelt differently in the UK from the US. There are also idiomatic phrases that are unique to one or the other. Don’t mix and match these words and phrases as it becomes confusing. Think about who your target audience is and choose spellings and idiom that are appropriate.

5.Be careful with numbers

Many European countries use the comma and period (point) in the opposite way to English speaking countries. For example one thousand would be 1.000 instead of 1,000. So, when writing in English be sure to separate the thousands with a comma and use a period for decimal places. E.g. 23,056.45.

6. Don’t try and translate idiomatic phrases from your own language directly

All languages have their own different idiomatic quirks. If you translate them directly at best you end up with something confusing and at worst you have something rude or insulting.

7. Be careful about the tone of your writing

Don’t use colloquial phrases, slang, street talk or culturally specific references in professional writing. It is easy to come across as ignorant, poorly educated or stupid instead of how you intended to appear.

8. Be extra specially careful of words that sound the same but are spelt differently

This is often a problem for people who hear and speak a language much more than they read it. Words like there, their and they’re all sound the same but have distinctly different meanings. Other examples include: two, to and too; yore, your, you’re and yaw; weave and we’ve; so, sew and sow. Again, if you use the wrong one you will be understood but look unprofessional.

9. Check agreements

Is the subject of the sentence singular or plural. We say I WAS going and not I WERE going. There ARE fifty people here not there IS fifty people here. Watch out for some of the tricky ones. The people ARE singing but the data IS correct.

If you haven’t got a blog then I sincerely recommend that you get one. There are many reasons why a blog is good for your search engine ranking but it is also invaluable for giving your business a human face. Customers dealing with you from other countries and cultures as well as those nearer home need a little reassurance that they are dealing with real people.

A blog helps you tell people things and explain things. What’s more, you don’t have to use the formal language that you might use in printed material to do it. Above all, it helps people to trust you.

So, what can UKcopy do to help? Well, we can offer our Web Editing service. From checking and correcting a single blog post to managing the whole process of your blog we can make it easier for you to communicate with confidence. You can be sure your message hasn’t been misunderstood and doesn’t appear unprofessional to your readers.

So, if you need us to check your blog for grammar, spelling or overall meaning please contact us for a quote and a free trial.

Small businesses are also finding those and other services helpful to sell globally. Manufacturers are cutting out the middlemen and selling directly to the consumer via the internet.

However, the one stumbling block is still communication. English has become the de facto standard language on the internet and without an ability to speak it your options are limited. The web is awash with poor and confusing English as people attempt to express themselves. Unfortunately it doesn’t matter how good your company is, how good your product is or how trustworthy you are because you will be judged on your language skills.

It is highly unfair but poor language use gives the appearance of being unprofessional and less capable. Customers are less likely to trust a company with a poorly written website. On the other hand, a well written website inspires confidence.

So even if your company just uses Ebay or your own simple website to sell products it is essential that you get the wording checked for grammar, spelling and suitability for your target customers or you could be losing business.

Here at UKcopy we are able to correct everything from a simple Ebay listing to an entire website. Contact us for a quote or a free trial.

Producers used to have the power of money, resources and standing within an industry behind them. Without it you couldn’t hope to compete whereas now the great leveller of the web puts ordinary people up there next to the corporations, politicians and celebrities. Opinions can be supported or countered through comments, blog posts, videos, Tweets and any number of other methods.

I for one am excited by the freedom and democracy of the internet and the possibilities it offers to find new stories and ideas and to tell people about them in a way that captivates, stimulates and engages.

Hello internet, hello world and hello social media revolution. Sign us up, we’re ready to join in!

Malcolm Cameron