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Avoid jargon to make your website more reader friendly

My fiance is one of the smartest people I know. He's an engineer, and almost as good with words as he is with numbers and equations.

But when we discuss marketing, he can get lost in words I use as a normal part of my everyday conversations, like 'conversion rates', 'viral marketing', and 'deep linking'.

It's the same with most of us. We are usually very good at what we know. But once we get into more fuzzy areas, we can get lost in the lingo on websites and give up. When all we really want is to understand how many songs can fit on the MP3 player, or why we should buy a certain brand of coffeemaker.

Too many people think that in order to be respected, or to sound professional, they have to use 'big words'. But it will hurt you more than help you when it comes to your website (and elsewhere in most of your marketing communications). A website that contains too many 'big words' will have lower readership, and therefore convert less visitors into paying customers.

Give your site the 'talking test'. Try saying your sentences out loud. Is that something you'd actually say to someone who's considering buying your product? Would your stepmother understand you? Or is it a load of buzzwords that say nothing specific about your product?

It all comes down to your audience. Yes, can use industry terms when you're certain your audience understands them. But unless it's obvious what they mean, don't assume they know the difference. For instance, 'customer acquisition' is a very straightforward marketing term, and it conveys the idea of 'getting new customers' even to someone who isn't a marketing guru.

You'll find you may be losing potential customers because the language on your website is too difficult to understand. If it's not written by a professional copywriter specializing in online communications, you'll probably find too much WE and not enough YOU in your wording. Clear benefits in a language that can be scanned and understood easily will win hands down.

One last word from Blob Bly, a copywriter (and engineer). "Consultants teaching business writing seminars tell us to avoid jargon because it interferes with clear communication. This certainly is true when trying to communicate technical concepts to lay audiences such as the general public or top management. But jargon can actually enhance communication when appealing to engineers, computer specialists and other technical audiences."

So if you're marketing to my fiance, speak in his technical language. For the rest of us, just plain English, please.


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