5 Tips for Clear Communication with Customers

Don’t get cute with copy.

Branding plays a big part of the customer experience, but when it comes to complex product instructions, or your return policy, warranty guidelines, and sale terms, it really needs to take a backseat. You’ve already got the customer. Don’t damage their trust because your messaging led to misunderstanding.

Be repetitive.

Your customer won’t always take the intended journey through your website, and they certainly won’t read all of its content. The more places you share the message across your site, the more likely the customer is to see it.

Be consistent.

When customers see conflicting information, they lose confidence in the brand. Familiarize yourself with what information is shared where. Before you make a change, list all the places this needs to be modified. Don’t forget about the less obvious things like automated emails, bot responses, help centers, and agent training materials.

Ditch industry terms.

Ticket, landing page, engagement, pallet, dock, end-user, even operating system are examples of words that are, in most cases, too technical to be a part of a customer interaction, and quite frankly, too in-the-weeds for the customer to care. Company lingo leads to confusion and frustration. Use customer-facing language that makes sense for your audience.

Be obvious.

There’s a reason CTAs like “Buy Now” tend to be more successful than more cleverly worded ones. Your customer has a lot going on. They’re reading your email but they’re also listening to their kids playing in the next room, or sitting on a crowded bus trying not to get elbowed, or responding to Slack messages at work. Simplicity in your messaging prevents your customer from needing to think so they’re more likely to take the intended action.

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