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Steve White/The Canadian Press/Press Association Images
Your Jokeing
Poor spelling cost businesses 'millions' in online sales
An industry body in Britain says that 42 per cent of employers are not satisfied with the basic reading and writing skills of school and college leavers.
POOR SPELLING IS costing online businesses “millions” in revenue, according to one British entrepreneur.
Charles Duncombe – who runs travel, mobile phones and clothing websites – said that just one spelling mistake can cut online sales by 50 per cent, according to an analysis of website figures. Duncombe said that poor spelling raises credibility concerns for customers, the BBC reports: “Spelling is important to the credibility of a website,” Duncombe said. “When there are underlying concerns about fraud and safety, then getting the basics right is essential.”
The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) also warned that many employers were having to give staff basic literacy lessons. The CBI’s head of education and skills, James Fothergill, said: “Our recent research shows that 42 per cent of employers are not satisfied with the basic reading and writing skills of school and college leavers and almost half have had to invest in remedial training to get their staff’s skills up to scratch.”
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