Readability is an aspect of writing that we often forget, especially, when content is specialized in a certain field. Technical writers have a hard time relating to average people because they assume the general population is just as educated in the same subject. When writing the content for your website you need to be mindful of the people who will be interpreting your information and make sure it is useful.
Writing out the technicalities of your process and expertise is no doubt a good way to show proficiency in your work. However, if people cannot comprehend what you are saying, it will be of no use. The key is to be mindful of the education level of your clients. Within every field of law there are intricacies regarding the process that the average client won’t be able to understand. In most cases, your clients just want to be confident that you know what you are doing and can trust that you will take care of the problem.
We all hope that the majority of people visiting our website would be able to understand and communicate on the same level, but in most cases that ideas is a fantasy. In our marketing firm we have many processes and trade secrets that we don’t speak about for the sheer complexity of the content. We find that if people want specific details, they will ask, and at that point we have the ability to share with them in depth, how we can serve them. Ultimately, you want to maintain a balance. Don’t dumb down your content too much or you might be perceived as unprofessional or incapable of delivering top notch service. On the flip side, speak in a language most people will be able to understand.
There are few ways to measure readability and even online tools that help score text if you are having trouble maintaining a good balance.
One of these tools is found HERE:
Click on the link above, then copy & paste some of your website content in the box. The utility will measure your based many formulas. It is useful to familiarize yourself with this tool and analyze your content when you are questioning if your content is readable by the average US citizen.
Please note: These test do not measure readability based on grammatical correctness or quality.
Typically the Harvard Law Review has a SMOG index of 17 to 18, the New York Times scores 13 to 15, and Newsweek is approximately 10 to 11.
