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From confusing to clear: Why website clarity matters for community connection

Is your website working as hard as you are to build authentic community connections? Our team discovered that website clarity isn't just about aesthetics—it's fundamental to how people experience your organization. These 5 questions will help you evaluate if your site truly serves your audience's needs.

If you’re like many organizations we work with, your website has probably grown into something… less than clear. Too many layers. Too many audiences. Important information that’s just not easy to find or understand.

We get it. Ours was there too.

So, we took a step back and asked ourselves the same questions we ask our clients:

Is this helping people understand who we are and how we help?
Is it built around the audience’s needs—or our own habits?
Does it reflect the experience people have when they actually work with us?

This process didn’t just give us a cleaner website. It gave us sharper language, stronger focus, and a better reminder of what really matters: connection, not content for content’s sake.

Whether you’re a college trying to reach more students, a health provider trying to build trust, or a public agency working to engage your community—the lesson is the same:

When your communications are clear, aligned, and audience-first, everything else works better.

So yes, we have a new website. But more importantly, we went through the same process we guide our clients through: realignment, simplification, and getting back to the heart of what we do.

If you’re thinking it might be time for a refresh on your own side, this is your nudge.

5 questions to ask about your website

If community connection is your goal, start here:

Does this sound like us—or like every other organization in our field? Your community is made of real people. Speak like one. Ditch the jargon, keep the heart.
Is it built for the people we most want to reach? Not just funders or internal teams—think parents, students, patients, neighbors. Is the information they need front and center?
Are we showing up in ways that build trust? Are you transparent about who you are, what you offer, and how to get help? Clarity builds confidence. Clutter erodes it.
Can someone understand our impact in under 60 seconds? If you buried your best stories or results three clicks deep, they might as well not exist. Surface what matters.
Do people leave our site with more connection—or just more information? The goal isn’t just clicks or downloads—it’s resonance. Will they feel seen? Inspired? Motivated to act?

Need help clarifying your website? Let’s talk about how to make your online presence as engaging as your in-person one.