Can any business really exist without an online presence? This slightly existentialist question is really one of practicality rather than philosophy:
- 89 percent of consumers use search engines to learn more about businesses and the products or services they offer before making a purchase
- 71 percent of purchase decisions start out with an online search
- There are 100 billion searches conducted on Google every month
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T
he Language Ninja is back, happily answering grammar-related questions that she has mostly not invented.
1. Question: Is there a significant difference between the phrases: “I could care less” and “I couldn’t care less?”
Answer: Although, lamentably, these two phrases are used interchangeably, yes — there is actually a huge difference. You see, I couldn’t care less means — literally — that the person uttering the phrase is physically, mentally and spiritually devoid of concern regarding the topic to which he or she is referring. If you couldn’t care about something to any lesser degree, then you are totally absent care. However, if you could care less, then you actually do care — albeit just a smidge. Whether the person using the expression realizes it or not, he or she is really communicating the opposite of what is intended: that there is an element of care left within his or her soul.
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Can SEO “stick it to the man?” Google’s betting on it with its latest search algorithm update that rewards secure sites with more ranking points. The move is meant to encourage site owners to update their domains with secure connections (adding the “s” in “https”), and the reason given behind this move is that Google’s tech gurus just want the Web to be more secure. After all, it’s commonplace to read about a data breech these days, with one of the latest citing around 1.2 billion accounts hacked by a Russian criminal group. More security around the net will mean safer browsing, and safer browsing means more confident Internet users who are less cautious about divulging their personal data, be it financial, medical or something else.
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In the wonderfully wacky world of online content and blogs, there are an array of competing opinions and disparate styles. What often lacks in the majority of business blogs is a unique “voice,” that essential yet somewhat misunderstood aspect of writing that makes it sound different from everything else. Developing a unique voice for your company’s online content is a sure-fire way to set your business apart from the competition and give readers (potential customers!) a little taste of what you’re really all about.
