Are You Making These Common Wording Errors on Event Websites and Registration Forms?

With everything that goes into creating your website event page and your online registration form, the last thing you want are some grammatical flubs to muck things up.

At ePly, when we see wording and grammar errors on forms and site content, we always try to point them out to our clients. So we thought we’d do up a quick overview of some wording and grammar rules to keep in mind as you’re creating your forms and copy.

Here are some of the most common mistakes people make…

Despite your best efforts, some errors might still slip into your form or your website content. To cover your bases, we suggest you:

What other mistakes do you see with online registration forms, or just in general, that drive you crazy?

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Are You Making These Common Wording Errors on Event Websites and Registration Forms?

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  • Proofread your form carefully. Use the spell checker of your web browser but don’t rely on it fully. Some errors, such as ones related to wording, won’t get picked up.
     
  • Have someone else read it. Since you’ve been working with your form, you’re too familiar with it and you may no longer see the mistakes. A fresh set of eyes can highlight some of the mistakes you may have missed.
     
  • If you are using ePly for your registration system, just ask and we will do a free review of your form and point out any issues we spot with wording, fields, layout and more.
  1. Insure instead of ensure – This is a simple spelling error with two very different meanings. “Insure” refers to the act of insuring something. Ensure is to make sure of something.
      
    Correct registration form example: “Ensure you register on time”
      
      
  2.  Which or that – “That” refers to the noun in the sentence and gives essential information about the noun. “Which” introduces a qualifier that is non-essential.
      
    Correct registration form example: “Choose the sessions that you will attend”.
     
      
  3. Whether and if – “Whether” is not interchangeable with “if.” “Whether” expresses a condition where there are two or more alternatives.
     
    Correct registration form example: “Indicate if you are attending the dinner”.
      
      
  4. Less/fewer – “Less” is for hypothetical amounts, whereas “fewer” or “few” refers to a number that is quantifiable.
       
    Correct registration form example: “If there are fewer than 100 registrations, the event will be cancelled”.
     
      
  5. Impactful simply isn’t a word – “The keynote speaker will give an impactful presentation…” is grammatically incorrect. Sorry to take that one away from you.
     
     
  6. Affect and effect – This is another common spelling error with words that are very different from one another. Remember, “affect” is a verb while “effect” is a noun.
     
    Correct registration form example: “This event is sure to have an effect on how you run your business”.
     
      
  7. It’s/its – “It’s” refer to a verb, whereas “its” is a possessive.
     
    Correct registration form example: “This conference is known for its extravagant gala events, so be sure to purchase a ticket”.
     
     
  8. Then/than – You use “than” for comparisons, “then” involves timing.
     
    Correct registration form example: “This event is going to be larger than any other event in this industry”.
     
     
  9. Farther/further – “Farther” refers to measurable distance, “further” should be used for an abstract length.
     
    Correct registration form example: “If you are travelling farther than 100 kms to get to the conference, you will be offered a special hotel rate”.
     
     
  10. Misconnecting verbs – Wrong: You should try and register before the price goes up. Right: You should try to register before the price goes up.
     
     
  11. Cannot – “Cannot” should always be written as one word. Not “can not.”
     
    Correct registration form example: “You cannot register if you aren’t a member”.
      

Nov 26th, 2013Sign Up to have new posts emailed to you

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