Does Your Website Copy Need a Refresh?

When potential customers land on your website, you have mere seconds to grab their attention, communicate value, and persuade them to keep exploring.

Strong copy and messaging is essential to user engagement, yet many businesses neglect optimizing core website text.

After extensively auditing and analyzing numerous company sites in my content strategy work, I’ve noticed some widespread copy mistakes that hinder engagement:

Dense Blocks of Text

Big walls of dense text look intimidating and overwhelm visitors. Huge paragraphs won’t get read, especially on mobile. Break up copy with descriptive subheadings, bullet points highlighting key features/benefits, short crisp paragraphs focused on single ideas, and ample white space between sections. Clean skimmable layouts allow users to quickly extract value.

Overused Industry Jargon

Excess technical terms, buzzwords and business speak sound vague and actually alienate visitors who feel confused or alienated by lingo they don’t grasp. Avoid industry jargon and keep the copy’s terminology clear, concise and viewer-focused. Explain capabilities in understandable language from the customer’s perspective.

Boring, Generic Messaging

Many sites rely on dry, hyperbolic claims like “world-class solutions” or meaningless cliches that sound good but communicate little. This fails to capture user attention or differentiate the brand. Instead, craft unique value propositions with concrete details and specifics on how the offering solves problems for customers. Help them visualize success meeting needs.

Weak Calls-To-Action

Don’t just generically say “Contact us today!” Create a sense of urgency and excitement with concise, benefit-focused CTAs. For example, “Get Your Free Consultation While Slots Remain” conveys scarcity and prompts quicker action. Vary CTA placement, terminology and messaging so they align closely with each page’s intent and user journey stage.

The Good News

Fortunately, improving website copy doesn’t require heavy lifting! Just a few key adjustments like those outlined above can dramatically boost engagement. Spend time clarifying messaging, highlighting differentiation, and speaking directly to customers’ needs and pain points.

Want visitors progressing deeper into your site, staying longer and converting more often? Let’s collaborate to optimize your page copy and calls-to-action for more clicks and sales. I’m happy to provide a complimentary audit of your key website pages along with concrete advice to refresh Messaging. Just reply if you’re interested in boosting your web content and interested in exploring a partnership!

Overused Industry Jargon Still Hinders Clear Communication

Even in the digital age, many organizations still overload external communications with excessive technical language, hard-to-grasp buzzwords and specialist terminology unlikely to resonate with general audiences. Much industry jargon remains needlessly vague while failing to clearly convey meaning to non-specialists.

Website copy afflicted with dense industry speak sounds pompous rather than approachable and inclusive. It alienates potential customers unable to penetrate the lingo fog and disengages them from buying consideration.

Impenetrable Jargon Also Muddies Internal Communications

Over-reliance on trendy buzzphrases also complicates internal communications between company departments, partners, internal teams and leadership. When language stays vague, critical specifics get lost while fuzzy misperceptions and mental guesswork replace clarity.

Jargon overload also makes onboarding new employees more difficult when basic concepts sound complex and key activities lack everyday naming conventions. Safeguarding institutional knowledge transfer requires clear accessible language within organizations too.

Concise, Jargon-Free Communication Now a Competitive Edge

Brands worldwide increasingly recognize the competitive advantage simple, inclusive messaging creates compared to industry jargon that cognitively burdens audiences. Plain language allows seamless communication unimpaired by specialist vocabulary.

Whether in marketing materials, intranet resources, product education or employee training, reducing unnecessary jargon stands vital for resonating communication this decade. The most future-ready organizations will continually refine communications for maximum clarity and comprehension.