I’m currently looking for a very specific service provider locally. I found a most excellent candidate via his most excellent website. It was written in plain English. It directly addressed my needs. I instantly knew he offered the services I needed.
Unfortunately, when I made contact with him—and he eventually replied—it was to tell me he’d semi-retired and wasn’t taking on new clients. Ah well. You can’t have everything. It’s a shame this wasn’t mentioned on his otherwise 10 out of 10 website. And so, my search continues.
But it got me thinking: how many websites in this field (and not just this field) are generic and/or vague—and aren’t written in plain English?
Why Plain English Matters
It probably shouldn’t need saying, but it does: your website must be written in plain English. Why?
- It improves user experience and accessibility.
- It increases engagement and boosts conversion rates.
- It reduces customer support queries – if you clearly state what you do, fewer people will need to ask.
- And, with search engines prioritising human language and natural queries, it boosts your SEO.
So, how do you make sure your website hits the mark? You carry out a Plain English Website Audit. Here’s how:
✅ 1. Define Your Audience
You probably know who your audience is, but have you written your website copy specifically for them?
Ask yourself:
Is your audience the general public, niche professionals, or people with technical knowledge?
Have you tailored your tone, language, and explanations to match?
Your content should speak directly to the people you want to reach.
✅ 2. Check Your Homepage
Your homepage should answer two key questions at a glance:
What do you do?
Who is it for?
Avoid vague statements, jargon, buzzwords, or trying to sound overly clever.
Also review:
Headline or tagline – does it clearly explain your value?
Calls to action – are they obvious and easy to understand?
✅ 3. Review Navigation – Getting from A to B
Navigation isn’t just a design issue – it’s a communication issue.
Check:
Are your menu items labelled in plain English?
Do section titles make sense to someone unfamiliar with your internal language?
Is the structure simple and intuitive?
✅ 4. Assess Content Readability
Look at your main content pages with a critical eye:
Are your sentences short and easy to follow?
Are paragraphs clear and not too long?
Have you tested readability (e.g. with Hemingway Editor)?
Have you eliminated jargon? (Yes, I said this already – and I might say it again.)
✅ 5. Evaluate Calls to Action
Calls to action (CTAs) guide your users.
Make sure:
Buttons and links clearly explain what will happen when clicked.
Forms and instructions are written in plain language.
You’ve avoided vague labels like “Click here” or “Submit” with no context.
✅ 6. Review Technical Content
Some parts of your website can easily become dense or unclear.
Review:
Product or service descriptions
FAQs
Legal pages (e.g. terms and conditions)
Aim to simplify language without losing important details.
✅ 7. Create Your Plain English Action Plan
Now you’ve identified what needs work – what’s next?
Prioritise the changes that will have the biggest impact
Create a style guide to ensure consistency across future content
Set clear goals (e.g. improve readability score, reduce support queries)
I’ve created a downloadable free checklist to help you with your plain English website audit. You can work through it and tick the items off as you go. Click the link to download it – Plain English Website Audit Checklist.
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