The problem isn’t that you know too little about your business to write about it. Sometimes, you know too much. You’re too close to it.

You know your services. You know the terminology. You know why one option is different from another. You know what happens after someone contacts you.

But your potential customer is in the dark, so to speak.

And that creates an interesting problem when you’re writing website copy. It’s easy to leave out information because it seems obvious. But it’s not to someone encountering it for the first time.

So, what might you be assuming?

You assume they know what you mean

Every industry has its own language. Sometimes it’s technical jargon or acronyms. Other times, it’s simply words and phrases you use so often that they become second nature, and you forget not everyone understands them.

There’s also the language that tries to sound impressive but doesn’t really tell the reader anything: innovative solutions, personalized service, strategic support (please do not use these tired, meaningless clichés). 

You know what those words mean in the context of your business. Does your customer?

The fix: Look at your website through the eyes of someone who knows nothing about your industry. Would they understand what you actually do? Wherever there’s room for interpretation, get specific.

You assume they know why it matters

It’s easy to describe what you do without explaining why your customer should care.

You might list a service, feature, process or credential because you know its value. But your reader may not automatically make the connection between what you’re telling them and what it means for them.

The fix: Ask yourself, So what?

If you say your company uses a particular process, so what? If you’ve been in business for 25 years, so what? If your service includes something your competitors don’t offer, so what?

The answer is often where the stronger copy is hiding.

You assume they know which option is right for them

You created your services, packages or programs, so the differences between them are perfectly clear to you.

Now imagine seeing them for the first time.

If two services sound similar, how does someone know which one they need? If you offer several options, what makes one a better fit than another?

Confusion doesn’t always lead someone to contact you for clarification. Sometimes, it leads them to leave.

The fix: Give people context. A simple This is right for you if… or Choose this option when… can help someone recognize themselves and make a decision.

You assume they know what happens next

Contact us. Book a call. Get started.

Those calls to action seem straightforward. But clicking the button may raise a whole new set of questions.

What happens after I fill out the form? How long is the call? Is there a fee? Do I need to prepare anything? Am I making a commitment simply by getting in touch?

You know the answers because you know your process. Your prospective customer doesn’t.

The fix: Remove uncertainty. You don’t need to explain every step, but tell people enough that they know what to expect when they take the next one.

You don’t have to explain everything

There’s a flip side to all of this. Your website doesn’t need to answer every possible question a customer could ever have. Too much information can create its own problems.

The goal is to notice where being too close to your business has caused you to skip something your customer needs to know.

Take a look at one page on your website and pretend you know absolutely nothing about your business.

• Do you understand what it means?
• Do you know why it matters?
• Can you tell which option fits?
• Do you know what to do next – and what will happen when you do?

You may be surprised by what isn’t nearly as obvious as you thought it was.

Because good copy doesn’t begin with what you want to tell people. It begins with understanding what they need you to explain.