Unable to Create Workable Link

I am simply trying to create a link to a pdf file but get

Catchable fatal error: Object of class WP_Error could not be converted to string in /home/steve/public_html/wp-content/themes/utility/functions.php on line 272

I thought this was because of it being a child theme and the issues with function.php but I tried it with using the parent theme and I have the same problem.

The code for the link is <span style=”text-decoration: underline;”><span style=”font-family: verdana,geneva; font-size: 12px;”>ESIL Marketing Effectiveness Questionnaire</span></span>

The link is https://esilmarketing.com. I’d appreciate any help. Thank you.