Your website is the connector between you and your audience. How you present the information on the website will determine whether you’ll build trust or chase the visitors away. Every single piece of information you share will contribute to your brand’s image, and website policy is no different.
The website policy includes very important information. However, its relevance and value are often overlooked. This is why confusing and incomprehensible website policies aren’t a rarity on the web.
In order to establish trust and win over new users, you need a well-written website policy. Without an easy-to-understand website policy, the visitors will give up on trying to comprehend your writing or miss out on relevant data.
To create a comprehensible website policy for your website visitors, consider the following tips.
Use Clear and Plain Language
You never know who can stumble upon your website. People of different education, experiences, and jobs will read the policy. With that in mind, you need to use every day, simple language. Or simply put – plain language.
What does plain language refer to? Here are a few characteristics:
- Common words and phrases
- Short and uncomplicated sentences
- Concise and well-organized paragraphs
- Clear writing style
- No jargon
- Active voice (avoid passive voice as much as you can)
If you must include some technical terms, provide a brief and simple explanation.
You can test your content for readability with the help of online readability tools. For wide audiences, aim at 6th to 7th-grade reading level.
Remember that plain language is for everyone. Even if your website aims to attract experts in a certain industry or people with Ph.D. degrees, no one wants to tire their mind with overly technical website policy.
Segment the Information
An essential feature of any comprehensible content is the segmentation of information. Creating sections for different groups of information ensures that your writing is organized and understandable.
No one is a big fan of huge blocks of text. They are intimidating and overwhelming. That’s why sections present the perfect solution for digestible and understandable content.
When writing your policy, organize the information you want to share in segments. Preferably, each segment will be sectioned off with subheadings.
The benefit of subheadings is that they help users find a specific piece of information in no time. Maybe they’ll want to revise some segment of your policy later on. The sections will help them spot the information they need within seconds.
Aside from the typical information on what type of data you will collect, why, and so on, make sure that you include a section on cookie policy. Cookies can also collect some information, and your website visitors should know about it.
You can also use bullet points or numbering for the information within sections. This helps you to further organize information and make it more precise.
Write in a Concise Manner
Write what needs to be said. Nothing more. Website policy needs to obtain crucial information about your website, and that should be your measure.
Any sentence that isn’t sufficient should be deleted. The more concise your website policy is, the more comprehensive it will be.
Of course, you shouldn’t omit information just to shorten your policy. Writing concisely simply refers to sharing information that is necessary in the simplest way.
How to make your policy more concise, you wonder? Well, start with paying attention to your sentences. Try to spot unnecessary words or phrases that can be simplified. That’s one of the ways to make your policy more concise.
Also, be direct and stick to the point. It can be helpful if you outline the policy prior to writing. Thus, you’ll have guidance on what you need to cover, and you won’t leave yourself much room for redundant additions.
Don’t Hesitate to Seek Out Writing Help
Website visitors expect a professionally written website policy. If you can’t deliver that, find someone who can.
If you are uncertain about your writing skills, or you are more of a creative type, not a “website policy writing” type, hire a writer. You can collaborate with a freelance writer or with writing services such as https://subjecto.com/ that can connect you with writing experts.
One of the reasons for the lack of quality of website policies is that website owners can’t commit to this task. However, they also don’t want to admit that they aren’t cut out for it. What they end up with, in that situation, is a poorly written, confusing policy.
If you don’t have the concentration or willpower to do it, that’s understandable. Hire a writer who will give their best and write a policy worthy of readers’ time. Website visitors won’t mind.
Proofread and Edit the Policy
There is not a piece of writing in the world that should be published without proofreading and editing. No matter how experienced you are in writing, proofreading and editing are unavoidable steps.
Edit your content and make tweaks and tweezes where needed. After you are finished with writing, step away from the policy, and come back later to revise it. Focus on the flow of the text and how understandable it is.
Getting someone to read your policy will be of huge help. Another pair of eyes can spot inconsistencies and mistakes that you can’t.
Proofreading is the cherry on top. Make the final revision of your policy and mainly focus on potential errors and misused words. There are plenty of online proofreading tools and apps that can speed up this process. However, you should always read and finalize the editing of the policy yourself, as the tools can’t know your intent and goals.
Final Thoughts
A comprehensible website policy is your path towards presenting your website as trustworthy. Once the visitors find all the information they need in your easy-to-understand policy, they’ll be more open to exploring your website.
Use these tips as a checklist for creating a comprehensible website policy. Write and rewrite the content as many times as you need until you are left with a simple, concise, segmented, and readable policy.