Kill the jargon-naut—How to make your website sound more human
The first rule of website club is: talk like a person. When creating content for your website, many companies make the common mistake of writing content filled with “industry jargon” only people in the same industry understand. Instead, using the words and phrases your customers use is a far better strategy. In other words, don’t write to yourself, write to your customers.
Did you know that most people often leave websites in just 10-20 seconds? This means you only have a few seconds to clearly communicate your offering. Industry jargon and an overuse of buzzwords will not be the thing that keeps them there.
Remember, your website is a reflection of your business. It’s a preview of not only what you are selling but also the experience that you offer your current and to your next potential customer/client. Tough love: if the content on your website is outdated, you’re outdated. If it’s complicated, your hard to work with. If it’s boring, you’re boring.
When creating or updating your site’s content, some questions to ask yourself include:
- What does your next customer need to know about what you offer that will meet their needs or solve their problems?
- How would your customers talk about their need for the product, program, or service that you offer? (Pro tip: ask them. This is a simple way to get their exact phrasing.)
- What basic information do you need to share? (Such as your geographic service area, hours of operation, best way to contact you, and when they can expect communication back from you.)
- How can you encourage your website visitors to interact with you? (I’ll give you a big hint on this one: consider adding a video or two, some customer-focused blog posts, or your social media feed.) Click here if you’d like some additional ideas.
Most importantly, remember to keep the content on your website focused on your customers. Better yet, write it from their viewpoint (not yours).
Bottom line: your customers aren’t as interested in you as they are in what you can do for them. Make it easy for them by keeping your content short, positive, and jargon-free.
