Too often, dense writing, confusing acronyms and fancy jargon bog down government websites. Here's how to use plain language to help your customers find what they're looking for, and save your agency time and money.
Guide: Business Communication
Sharpen your business communication skills with this Howcast video series.
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1How to Give Yearly Peer Performance Reviews at Work
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2
How to Give Written Notice to Your Employer
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3
How to Give a Verbal Warning at Work
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4
How to Give Written Feedback at Work
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5
How to Give Written Warnings at Work
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6
How to Give Tough Love at Work
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7
How to Give an Effective Employee Evaluation
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8
How to Learn from a Yearly Performance Review at Work
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9
How to Get Along with Your Boss
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10
How to Respond to a Written Warning at Work
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11
How to Give an Effective Business Presentation
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12
How to Effectively Communicate with Your Boss
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13
How to CC in a Business Letter
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14
How to Decipher Your Coworkers' E-mails and IMs
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15
How to Improve Your Communication Skills by Speaking Better English
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16
How to Write a Letter of Intent
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17
How to Write a Business Thank You Note
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18
How to Write a Survey or Questionnaire
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19
How to Write a Standard NDA
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20
How to Apply for a Patent
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21
How to Write a Grant Proposal
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22
How to Write an Executive Summary
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23
How to Use a Laser Pointer Correctly
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24
How to Make a Business Introduction
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25
How to Use Plain Language on a Government Website
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26
How to Increase Usability of Government Websites and Boost Your ROI
Steps
You Will Need
- An understanding of your audience
- A willingness to write clearly
- Plain-language training resources
- A plain-language checklist
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Step 1
Know your audience
Know who your readers are and only include information that's relevant to them. Tailor your writing to the people with the least expertise.
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Tip
Get a plain language checklist at plainlanguage.gov.
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Step 2
Keep it simple
Keep it simple. Fancy words often confuse more than impress, especially on the web. Choose words that are concrete, familiar, and easy to understand. Avoid jargon and legalese. Whenever possible, use pronouns like "we" and "you," and eliminate acronyms most readers won't understand.
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Tip
Cut every unnecessary word. Extra words bury important information and make it hard for search engines to find the most relevant material.
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Step 3
Choose the right style
Write in an easy-to-understand style. Speak directly to your readers -- using "you" and "we" -- to make the information more personal and relevant. Write in the active voice, not the passive voice, and use simple verb tenses.
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Step 4
Organize your writing
Organize your writing. Put the most important information first, use a consistent layout, and incorporate simple formats. Use descriptive titles and headings that include the keywords your readers are searching for, so search engines can find your content.
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Tip
Include white space in your design to break up blocks of text and avoid the "wall of words" effect.
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Step 5
Monitor your writing
Monitor your writing. If someone can't understand the text the first time they read it, it's not written in plain language. Get feedback from peers and customers, then fix mistakes and make improvements.
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Step 6
Train your team
Everyone, from the top down, should learn to use plain language. Encourage your staff to attend training through Web Manager University, and consider bringing in a plain-language expert to train your team. Improve your site with clear, concise, and well-organized writing to help search engines find your content, ensure people get quick answers, and reduce help-desk questions. Plain and simple.
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Fact
The U.S. Government supports plain language and is working hard to improve the writing on government websites.
