Jargon Busting

"Jargon stalks unchecked in our midst"  Arthur Thomas Quiller-Couch. 

The team recently attended a Writing for the Web workshop (hosted by our good friends, the Working Women's Network). Reassuringly, a number of the tactics we use were validated, and I was reminded that it's crucial to make sure our sites are not full of jargon. So, what is jargon? The dictionary defines it as "Nonsensical, incoherent, or meaningless talk", and we can all be found guilty of using it at times. By slipping into our industry speak, or adding unnecessary words to fill in gaps or give an air of superiority, we're subscribing to the practice of jargon. 

Although I'm not an advocate of dumbing down, I do believe that we need to make our information online as accessible as possible to as many potential clients. The bad news is that jargon could be stopping browsers on you page from becoming clients. The good news is we're going to share 3 easy tips to keep your copy jargon free.

1. Know your target market: who are you writing for? What would they want to know, and what language would they best understand it in?
2. Avoid business cliches: read through your site. If you're tired of writing the same old lines, then you are sure to be boring your audience.
3. Write honestly and to the point: don't keep writing because you think you need to fill a certain number of paragraphs. Your website is not a university assignment, it is your online branding tool. 

Recently, marketing God Seth Godin preached the sermon of a jargonless site in his blog. It's great reading if you have a moment, but can also be summarised in my final point. People want to know who you are about what can you do for them. Make it easy to read, stand out from the crowd and don't waste your prospective clients time on jargon!