If you’ve landed the job of your dreams as a copywriter and working with a business that is launching a new website, it is natural that you want to convey the appropriate tones to appeal to customers. As any freelancer who specializes in web copy, it’s critical to ensure that you match their own advice. But what happens when it’s a topic that is overly technical? While you may not have an understanding of plumbing supplies or wall panels, what does it take to put across something technical yet effective?

Understand the Audience and the Goal

It is far more effective to identify who you are writing for, define your goal, and then work backward from both of these components. It’s easier when you’re working with a website design company so you can gain an understanding of the visual language, but when you understand the audience and the goal, you can better visualize how to approach the task. 

Bear in mind that there could be other associated components that play here, whether it’s providing instructions or explaining a difficult concept, but get that goal in place and you will understand the steps you need to take.

Clear Language

Writing technical content may mean the use of technical terms is necessary. But what we have to remember, going back to the concept of understanding your audience, is to ensure that it’s not full of jargon. Lots of content writers think that, to make their words jump off the page and appeal, technical language must be full to the brim with jargon. The biggest problem is when you don’t have a great understanding of these technical terms; it comes across as unknowledgeable. 

Plain language is always the best approach. Always remember KISS: Keep It Simple, Stupid. However, if you must use technical terms, always provide clear definitions, especially when you are working towards a specific audience. Remove those unnecessary sentences that don’t contribute to the topic’s understanding. When you are breaking down any complex procedures via instructions and putting them into manageable steps, it gives you a greater insight into how you can understand the concept yourself as well.

Writing is Rewriting

The most important thing to remember is not to get it right the first time, but to get it written. This is where the proofreading process is critical, as you can focus on technical accuracy. 

You need to make sure each sentence is easy to understand, even by yourself, and all of the little components like grammar and spelling errors can distract from the content. This is particularly important when it comes to writing things like bids for other companies; you need to ensure that they have the final say.

While there are extra components that you can add to the mix, the goal of technical copy is ultimately about making complex information easy to read and accessible to your target audience. Always go for clarity and usability in every piece of content you create. As simple as it sounds, when it comes to understanding any form of complex information, the best thing for you to do is to go “method actor” on it and understand it yourself.