I hated it when my grandmother read me stories. She would stop reading every 5 minutes or so and ask me to define words. I resented being quizzed on something that something that was supposed to be enjoyable and I didn't like to lose the momentum and magic of the story.
I feel the same way about jargon or made-up words used in marketing materials. If I can't easily understand what you are writing about, you've lost me. I will read about some other company that does what you do, but describes it in terms that everybody understands.
The most successful websites are those that clearly and succinctly communicate what they do, how they do it, and what's in it for you. You only have a few seconds to capture a website reader's interest. Don't waste them by using words that only a fraction of your readers might understand. Worse yet, don't waste time developing special, trademarked terms to describe a marketing advantage, unless the meaning of those terms is completely clear without explanatory text.
Site of the Week: What terrible business jargon do you need unsucked? Check out www.unsuckit.com
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