3 Ways to Communicate Better Online

Communication is more than a line of nouns, verbs, and adjectives strung together with punctuation.  Instead, communication should be focused on achieving a goal, whether it is eliciting an emotional response or enlightening the reader with interesting information.

The power of written prose is especially important online, where you do not have body language, voice tones, and facial expressions upon which to rest your communication laurels.  With this in mind, there are three time-tested strategies that can certainly help you and your business communicate better online.

Trust that Your English Teacher was Right about W/C

Your English teacher’s red pen was right – at least about the dreaded editing abbreviation, w/c, otherwise known as word choice.  Passive and bland words are not sufficient online, where the reader’s attention is easily swayed by millions of competing websites.  Instead, you should always look for more powerful alternatives.  Is the sweater you are selling light blue in color, or is it a Hawaiian teal?  Do you want your customer to “shop at our spring sale,” or “enjoy discounts up to 50% at our spring sale extravaganza?”  To communicate better, the first step is to choose words that are powerful, create an image in the reader’s mind, and deliver your message.

Communicate with the Finish Line in Sight

In business, the success of your communication is measured by the numbers of increased sales and revenues.  With this in mind, it is critical to ensure that your freelance writer or SEO writer completely understands the goals you wish the content to achieve.  Are you attempting to garner trust and authority in the industry?  Would you like to convert visitors into paying customers?  Is your goal to cement your clients’ brand loyalty?  These goals are each served by very distinct types of content.  To communicate better, you must understand your goal and convey it clearly to your freelance writer or SEO writer.

Speak Only to Busy People

Internet users are notorious for their short attention spans.  With the incredible plethora of information available online, it is no surprise that internet visitors are finicky and have expectations of finding the content they need instantaneously.

To communicate better with online users, you must speak with a busy person in mind.  Would you elaborate painstaking details to a busy CEO?  How long would your elevator pitch to a Wall Street broker be?  Keep your online content concise, and you will capture the attention of the internet user.  Make use of sub-headings, lists, and bullet points, and you make the busy internet visitor’s reading task even easier.

The websites that communicate better than their competitors understand the psychological power of word choice, the importance of driving home their end goal, and the short attention span of internet users.  With these perspectives in your arsenal, it’s time for your content to communicate better.