Whatever your goal, plain language makes a winner out of you. Here is your complete guide to profiting from plain language on your website (or anywhere else!)

1. How you profit from
a plain language website
A presentation from THGM Writers
www.THGMwriters.com

2. What we’ll cover
• What is plain language?
• What is readability?
• Why plain language matters?
• How can you write in plain language?

3. What is plain language?
Plain language is how we use:
– words
– sentence structure
– other tools
to be better understood by our readers.
In general, smaller is better.

4. What is readability?
• Readability is an algorithm.
• It is one part of plain language.
• It measures how easy a text is to read.
• It does not measure how clear the message is.

5. What readability measures
• Length of words
• Length of sentences
• Length of paragraphs
• Passive vs. active voice (sometimes)

6. Sample readability results
Before editing:
After editing:

7. Recommended reading levels
• Most experts recommend a readability level of
under Grade 8.
• This includes for target markets of high school
graduates and university graduates.
• Everybody reads better at a Grade 8 level.

8. The UK government says:
• When you use a longer word (8 or 9 letters),
readers are more likely to skip shorter words.
• So if you use longer, more complicated words,
readers will skip more.

9. The UK government says:
Do not say this:
“The recently implemented categorical
standardisation procedure on waste oil should not be
applied before 1 January 2015.”
Do say this.
“Do not use the new waste oil standards before 1
January 2015.”

10. The UK government says:
• Children quickly learn to read common words
(the 5000 words they use most).
• They then stop reading these words and start
recognising their shape.
• This allows people to read much faster.
• Children already read like this by the time
they’re 9 years old.

11. The UK government says:
• People don’t read one word at a time.
• They bounce around - especially online. They
anticipate words and fill them in.
• This is why we tell people to write on GOV.UK
for a 9 year old reading age.

12. The UK government recommends:

13. The US government recommends:

14. The Canadian government
recommends:

15. Why plain language matters
• The more people understand your page, the
more successful it will be.
• The easier it is for people to read your page,
the more successful it will be.
• The more people read your page, the more
successful it will be.

16. Benefits of plain language
• Wider audience
• Happier customers
• Page views increase
• Fewer words needed
• Time on page increases
• Higher conversion rates

17. Benefits of plain language
Wider audience:
The easier your text is to read…
• the more people are capable of reading it
• the more people will make the effort to read it
• The more people will share it

18. Benefits of plain language
Happier customers:
• Customers get sore when they have difficulty
understanding what to do
• Customers get sore when they do the wrong
thing.
• They are happier when things are easy and go
smoothly.

19. Benefits of plain language
Page views increase:
• Plain language focuses on words people really
use.
• It has a better readability score.
• Search engines send those pages more traffic.

20. Benefits of plain language
Fewer words needed.
Plain language reduces convoluted sentence
structure.
Fewer words and easier reading means that
more people will read the full page.

21. Benefits of plain language
Time on page increases.
The fewer people get frustrated trying to
understand your text, the more people will keep
reading.
If it feels like work, they’ll leave.

22. Benefits of plain language
Higher conversion rates, because:
• More people read your text.
• People keep reading your text.
• More people understand your text.

23. Top tips to write in plain language
• Use bullet lists.
• Use simple words.
• Use common words.
• Use the active voice.
• Use short sentences.
• Use short paragraphs.
• Use the positive form.
• Use a single word whenever possible.
• Lead with most important information.

24. Top tips to write in plain language
Use bullet lists.
Even small lists of three items are much easier
to read in bullets.
Plus it breaks up the solid blocks of text on your
page.

25. Top tips to write in plain language
Use simple words.
• “use” instead of “utilize”
• “buy” instead of “purchase”
• “better” instead of “superior”
• “start” instead of “commence”
• “about” instead of “related to”
• “start” instead of “initiate”

26. Top tips to write in plain language
Use simple words.
These are easier to read, especially when there
are complex words around them.
Remember the UK research. People recognize
these words visually, without having to “read”
them.
Let’s look at a few examples.

27. Top tips to write in plain language
Use simple words.
Read here how easy
it is to do:
Download a free copy

28. Top tips to write in plain language
Use common words.
People read without stopping.
If they have to stop to think about what they are
reading, you lose them.
Always use the easiest word to understand, so
that readers don’t have to stop to think.

29. Top tips to write in plain language
Use the Active voice.
Here is the format to use:
– Subject
– Verb
– Object
– Place or time

30. Top tips to write in plain language
Use the Active voice.
Don’t say: “It was reported that…”
Do say: “The Agency reported that…”
Don’t say: “Tests were conducted…”
Do say: “We tested…”

31. Top tips to write in plain language
Use short sentences.
• Use the active voice.
• Use more direct language.
• Break up complex sentences.
• Make bullet lists from long sentences.

32. Top tips to write in plain language
Use short sentences.
Don’t say: “They made a commitment to
terminate the program.”
Don’t say: “They committed to the termination
of the program.”
Do say: “They promised to end the program.”

33. Top tips to write in plain language
Use short paragraphs.
Shorter paragraphs make a page easier to read
because they look less imposing.
If it looks like work, they won’t even start
reading.
Make it easy to start.

34. Top tips to write in plain language
Use the positive form.
Tell people what to do, not what to not do.
Don’t say: “Don’t use more than 5 at a time.”
Do say: “Use only 5 at a time.”
Don’t say: “Don’t plant seeds before May 2nd.”
Do say: “Plant seeds after May 2nd.”

35. Top tips to write in plain language
Use a single word whenever possible.
Don’t say: “in relation to”
Do say: “about”
Don’t say: “made the decision to”
Do say: “decided”
Don’t say: “gave advice to”
Do say: “advised”

36. Top tips to write in plain language
Lead with the most important information.
People are busy. Many readers won’t keep
reading.
Give the the most important information in the
first paragraph.
This is called “inverted pyramid” writing.

37. Top tips to write in plain language
Extra tip! Break up huge blocks of text with:
• Images
• Bullet lists
• Subheadings
• Pull-out quotes
• Shorter paragraphs

38. You win with plain language.
• Whatever your goal, you’ll be more convincing
if you make it easy for your audience to:
– read
– understand
– act
• We can help: www.THGMwriters.com