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Not everyone on your site has a PhD. In fact, some estimates suggest that 30% of internet users are low-literacy readers. That’s a lot. But regardless of the education level of visitors, word choice and readability should be simple. Here’s the proof…
When the NN Group rewrote a pharmaceutical website to bring the readability level down to an 8th-grade level, the success rate for low-literacy users went up. A lot. When the site was more readable, these visitors were 135% more likely to complete tasks.
But surprise, surprise! The success rate for high literacy users also went up. That’s right. All visitors prefer to read 8th-grade level writing...
Stop trying to impress people with big words.
People get overwhelmed by industry specific terminology. They just know what they need but they do not always know what to call it.
You know what I am talking about...that blank stare. Oh, I know you have seen it, too.
Years ago I worked for a law firm that covered many facets of the legal industry. Some of that work included Criminal Law. As I began explaining in Legalese what was happening with the client's case, he looked at me matter-of-fact and asked "Am I going to jail or not?".
It was a valid point and excellent insight.
After all, it is about engagement. Who wants to engage with anyone that thinks they are above them? So "be real" and gain an audience.
Effective marketing communications relies upon having a clear understanding of our targeted audience and this article provides an interesting insight.