The other day, I watched a video about astrology, which is a passion of mine, and I was completely turned off by all the jargon. Keep in mind, I know the jargon. I can talk about what Saturn square the ascendant means with the best of them. I can look at someone’s birth chart and interpret all the symbols. But even I, with my insider knowledge, was turned off because there were too many leaps I had to make. Too much translation happening in my head for the video to make sense.

That same issue I ran into can appear on your website. If you’re an expert in your industry, if you’ve spent years educating yourself, the harder it is to see your business through the eyes of a newcomer. And chances are, you want to reach newcomers because that’s how a business grows.

The Problem: You’re Not Thinking Like a Newcomer

As a Charlotte-based web design company, we at Web Symphonies see this frequently. People want a website that broadcasts, “Look at how much I know! Look how great I am!” but fundamentally, people want to hire you because you can solve their problem(s). If you’re not telling them how you can solve their problem(s), they won’t hire you, period. This happens everywhere, by the way.

A financial advisor discusses “fiduciary strategies” when visitors just want to know if they’ll have enough money to retire. An IT company promises “end-to-end managed infrastructure solutions” instead of explaining how they’ll keep a business running when technology fails. A contractor proudly lists every certification they’ve earned but never explains what it’s actually like to work with them.

It’s not that the websites shouldn’t list those things – they matter for the people who are searching for them – but maybe don’t list them first. Because first, people have a problem and they want you to solve it.

Remember to Write for Your Customer

We’ve been in business for decades and one thing we notice is people assume web visitors think the way they do, or know what they know. They don’t. You might describe your service by its technical name because that’s how everyone in your industry refers to it, but do your customers recognize that name? Or you might spend paragraphs explaining your process before you’ve explained why someone should choose you in the first place. What happens is your website makes perfect sense to people in your industry but sounds like gibberish to everyone else. Again, that’s what happened to me with the astrology video – they were talking about transits, using them as shorthand, and I couldn’t keep up. Did I keep watching the video? I did not.

Clarity is King

I know it’s a “thing” where people want to sound professional and they think simple language makes them seem less experienced, but nothing could be further from the truth. The companies that communicate most clearly often appear the most confident because they don’t hide behind buzzwords or jargon. A little example for you: “We provide integrated, scalable digital solutions designed to optimize organizational performance,” versus: “We build websites that help small businesses attract more customers.”

Which one of those statements actually says what the company does? And which one would make a new customer sit up a little straighter and take notice? The clearer, simpler one. Related, this is why it’s important to focus on problems before offerings. Instead of, “Here are all the things I do,” answer the question, “Can you help someone like me?” The “me” here is the customer. What are they trying to solve? And how can you help?

As a Charlotte web design company, the way this could apply to us is instead of saying, “We offer custom web development, mobile optimization, and search engine optimization,” we could write, “We build websites that load quickly and work beautifully on every device.” And “We create better visibility when customers search for businesses like yours.” As well as “We can help you launch a website that’s easy to update as your business grows.”

It’s all the same service, just worded differently.

Ask for Help

The best way to determine if your website is simple, clear, and non-jargon-y is to ask someone who has no background in your industry to review your website. Then ask them the following questions:

• What does this company do?
• Who is it for?
• What makes it different?
• What would you do next?

If they hesitate, guess, or misunderstand, your website may be assuming too much. Remember, your website isn’t written for you or your competitors. It’s written for the person who just discovered your business and is deciding whether to hire you. The best websites make complex ideas feel simple. They answer questions before they’re asked; more importantly, they make people feel understood.

As my dad says, “It’s simple but not easy.” If you need help with the content writing on your website, you can hire me directly at www.rebekahmoan.com. But if you’re looking for overall help with your website – the design, building, content, and maintenance — get in touch with Web Symphonies via email or call (704) 336-9113.

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