4 min read#website-copy#plain-language#small-business

Common Website Copy Mistakes: Jargon, Hype and Vagueness

Clear words win visitors. Here are three habits that make website copy hard to trust, with plain rewrites and a simple read-aloud test.

Visitors decide quickly whether a page is for them. If the words are foggy, boastful or full of insider terms, they leave without asking. The good news is that copy gets better with a few ordinary habits, and none of them require a writer.

Mistake one: jargon

Jargon is vocabulary that makes sense to you and not to a customer. Phrases like “end-to-end solutions” or “leveraging synergies” tell a reader nothing. Even trade terms can get in the way if your customer does not use them. Ask what a first-time customer would say, and use that word.

Mistake two: hype

Words like “best,” “amazing” and “world-class” are easy to write and hard to believe. They do not tell the reader anything they can check. Replace them with something specific: what you do, how you do it and what a customer can expect.

Mistake three: vagueness

“We offer quality service at fair prices” could describe almost any business. A vague sentence gives the reader no reason to choose you. Name the service, the place, the process or the policy that makes your business what it is.

Before and after

Here are examples for a fictional business.

Before: We provide best-in-class landscaping solutions tailored to your unique needs. After: We mow, trim and tidy yards in Example City, and we can set up a regular weekly or twice-monthly visit.

Before: Contact us today to learn more about our offerings. After: Call the number here to ask for a quote, or send a message and we will reply by the next business day.

The second versions are not fancier. They are clearer, and they commit to something the business can do.

The read-aloud test

Read your copy out loud, slowly. Wherever you stumble, or feel slightly embarrassed, rewrite. Then ask a friend who does not know your business to read the home page and tell you in one sentence what you do. If they cannot, the page needs work.

Where to look first

Start with the places where visitors decide: the top of the home page, the page for your main service and the contact page. These deserve your best words, so read them first. Then check headings, since many visitors scan them before reading anything else. A heading like “Our Solutions” says little, while “Repairs, Installs and Maintenance” tells the reader what is on offer. Finish with the buttons. A button that says “Ask for a quote” is clearer than one that says “Submit,” because it tells people what will happen. Do the same with link text and menu labels. “Services and prices” is clearer than “Learn more,” and “Opening hours” is clearer than “Info.” When a visitor can predict what a click will do, they click with more confidence, and they are less likely to leave in confusion. Try covering the surrounding text and reading only the headings and buttons: they should still tell the story of the page.

Common mistakes to watch for

Beyond the three above, watch for long paragraphs, sentences that start with “we” five times in a row and calls to action that say only “Click here.” Be careful with promises, too. If you say something will happen, make sure you can deliver it every time.

Try this today

  1. Pick the first paragraph on your home page and underline every vague or boastful word.
  2. Rewrite each underlined word with something specific that a customer could verify.
  3. Read the new version out loud and ask one friend to summarize it back to you.

Field notes

  • Replace jargon with the words your customers use.
  • Swap hype for specifics.
  • Name what you do, where and how.
  • Read your copy aloud and fix what makes you stumble.
  • Ask someone unfamiliar to summarize your home page.

Would you rather not build all of this by hand? websiites.com creates a complete website from a paragraph about your business, and you can see the finished site before you pay anything. The how it works page walks through the steps.