In today’s post, I write about why there should be no jargon on your coaching website.
There are a few reasons why you should steer clear of jargon on your coaching website:
1. It can be confusing for potential clients.
If you want to appeal to a wide range of potential clients, it’s important to use language that everyone can understand. Avoiding jargon will help you communicate more effectively and make it more likely that people will want to work with you.
2. It makes your business seem unapproachable.
When you use jargon on your coaching website, it can be confusing for potential clients. They may not be familiar with the technical terms used in coaching, and they may not understand what you’re offering. This can be off-putting and make people less likely to want to work with you.
3. It can turn people off from working with you.
Using jargon on your coaching website can also turn people off from working with you. They may not want to work with someone who uses language that they don’t understand, and they may feel like you’re not the right fit for them.
Have you ever landed on a website and wondered what exactly the person was offering?
It certainly happens to me. And what do people do when they arrive at one of such sites? They leave. They go and look for another site, one that’s clear.
So the question is whether your website content is easily understood.
Coaches and therapists often fall into the trap to use jargon on their site. Potential clients don’t understand what is meant by certain words and phrases. It’s very easy to make this mistake as we are so used to using jargon. We use it daily. It’s second nature to us to talk in this way.
But using jargon can mess up your entire marketing. Unless your clients know the language of your profession, they won’t understand the meaning of it.
For example:
- Embodiment
- Empowering
- Somatic
What do these words actually mean? Can you describe them in simple language?
We really must assume that people coming to your site do not understand the jargon. Therefore, you need to write in simple language that’s easily understood by everyone.
Of course, if you are talking to your colleagues, you will speak in jargon. But that’s different. You are talking to a group of professionals who are all well versed in this language. It would be inappropriate not to use jargon.
However, your website is not directed at your colleagues. Your site is aimed at your clients, many of them who don’t understand the terms you use.
When you’re marketing your coaching business, it’s important to communicate clearly and avoid using jargon. Jargon can be off-putting to potential clients and make your business seem unapproachable.
So the question you need to ask yourself is: Who is coming to your website?
And this is the person you are writing content for.
It’s important to remember that not everyone is familiar with the technical terms used in coaching, so using plain language will help more people understand what you’re offering.
Let’s look at how you can avoid using jargon on your website.
1. Choose words that your clients use
Use the kind of words that your clients use when they talk about their problems or pain. Write in their language.
2. Don’t describe your process but write about the benefits
Coaches and therapists are often in love with the process, with their particular modality or therapy.
But when you are writing copy for your website, you need to think about the benefits that your work does.
3. Write in simple language
Coaches and therapists can be so familiar with the jargon they use, that they often don’t realise that these words are new to our clients. We often assume that the readers are familiar with our particular phrases. But this is not the case.
Many coaches and therapists are used to writing articles for academic papers or perhaps have a corporate background. Writing copy is very different to academic or corporate writing.
Web copy needs to be simple and easy to read. Showing off our expertise through using complicated jargon speech is not going to help convert readers to clients.
Finally, here is a useful tool to check the readability of your text:
Ideally, you want to aim for a Grade 3 – 4.
If you want to appeal to a wide range of potential clients, it’s important to use language that everyone can understand. Avoiding jargon will help you communicate more effectively and make it more likely that people will want to work with you.
Would you like some help?
I design websites for coaches.
Contact me today to arrange a 30-min call to see how I could help you get more clients for your coaching or therapy practice.
