How do you create digital content that’s easy for your readers to understand, despite the subject matter?
The plan is simple.
You need to break down your content in simple terms, but without boring your audience into leaving your website to find something else to read.
Sure, this sounds easy but executing on it hardly is. Think about it. If you ran an automobile repair company and would like to educate your audience through a blog post, could you write a post about “how automobile traction” works that’s engaging and simple to understand?
Most businesses struggle to break down complex topics, and their blogs are suffering as a result. If you are one of those businesses, read on to learn more about how you can write easy-to-read content and increase your website’s conversion rate.
1. Avoid Using Jargon/Complex Words
“I speak to everyone in the same way, whether he is the garbage man or the president of the university.”
-Albert Einstein
One of the most prevalent issues that exist in online content across the web is the presence of jargon and complex words. In high school and college, using big words may have been a great way to sound smart and impress your teacher.
However, when you’re writing digital content, you’re writing to aid an online reader’s understanding, not to impress them. For example, if I were running a web design company, this would be a great example of a sentence that contains too much jargon and complex words.
“Acme Web Design Company is a full-service B2B web design agency that combines exemplary interaction with a picturesque website design.”
After reading that, just ask yourself one thing. If you needed a website, would you call your nearest web design company on the phone and ask to speak to a “full-service B2B web design agency that combines exemplary interaction with a picturesque website design”
Of course not, but many people believe that it’s okay writing like this. Eliminate jargon and complex words in your writing to get your point across with more clarity, like so.
“Acme Web Design Company is a web design agency that provides state-of-the-art websites for small businesses to receive more online customers and increase their digital sales.
2. Write for a Sixth Grader
In its best form, writing is simplistic. The art of writing great content is to simply say what you mean and mean what you say. Just check out this excerpt from internet marketing guru Neil Patel.
If you read any of my blogs, you’ll know that I write a lot about writing
Why? What’s the big deal? Why am I obsessed with this topic?
On the personal side, I write about writing because, well, I really enjoy the topic.
Neil Patel has millions of subscribers to his blog, and after reading this, it isn’t hard to see why. His style is fairly simplistic to the point where anyone can read his writing and understand his thesis instantly.
I pulled this excerpt from Patel’s blog where he talked about how you can improve your online writing. This is a really complicated topic, especially for those who don’t have much writing skills. However, Patel made this excerpt easy to understand by simply writing for an imaginary sixth-grade audience.
3. Use Visuals
If you’re attempting to write research-driven content on a complicated topic, you better be ready to dilute your content by adding engaging visuals. Facts and data are much more likely to be absorbed if they’re displayed through a table or infographic.
In fact, readers will only read 20% of your content, according to a recent study. For this reason, make sure you include images, infographics, graphs, tables, and any other visual item that can reinforce what you’re trying to say. After all, a picture is worth a thousand words.
Final Words:
Writing digital content isn’t easy, but you can make it simpler by using these tips to create digestible content for your target audience. If you don’t have the time to devote to your blog, get in touch with us today to learn more about how we can increase your website traffic and engagements today!
