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I’m not an idiot, but I play one online – and so should you!
Sorry about the headline – the 80s flashbacks are getting to me. Still, I really do “play stupid” as a Website optimizer and online copywriter. Or at least I play ignorant.
Why? Because all those terms and concepts you think everyone understands about your business and what you’re selling – well, you’re wrong about them! Wrong about both the terms themselves and your potential audience. If you think I’m mistaken, go back and watch the video again.
Or keep reading to see some real website examples. Either way, let me reassure you that way more of your website visitors just fundamentally don’t “get it” than you’d ever suspect. Either those visitors:
- have no idea what the industry standard terms you are using mean,
- don’t really understand the finer distinctions the terms are supposed to represent, or
- fail to draw the all-important conclusions and emotional implications that you may be basing your persuasive messaging upon.
Any one of those might be enough to kill your chances for a conversion.
And while there are some good reasons to only mention or allude to the “features” in order to hone in on the benefits, there’s also very few excuses* not to provide links, mouse-overs, and early stage content that can guide the perplexed to a better understanding of your industry and your messaging.
How an “idiot” could improve the Black Diamond Home Page
For those of you who haven’t heard of this company before, Black Diamond Equipment makes cutting edge climbing and skiing equipment. And before we even look at one of their product pages, I suggest you just go to their website and get a feel for how user-friendly (or not) the overall design seems. Seriously, go there right now. I’ll wait.
Ok, now ask yourself this:
- Doesn’t it feel as if the company ONLY produces carabiners? If you didn’t know the company produced headlamps, skis, tents, etc, would you ever think to look for those?
- Did it take you a while to figure out that the pictured carabiners could be clicked on and rotated towards you? Or was that just intuitively obvious? What do you think the designers felt about the “obviousness” of this design.
- If you weren’t interested in carabiners and never clicked on the “see all carabiners” link, would you ever have gotten to the pages dealing with other equipment?
- What do you think is keeping them from simply using a persistent top navigation scheme?
- Do you think “playing an idiot” for a day would help these guys out?
Idiot-Proofing Product Pages 101
Now let’s compare a product page on the Black Diamond site with one for the same product taken from backcountry.com. We’ll start with a product page for a LED headlamp taken from the Black Diamond site:
What the heck is a “TriplePower LED”?
- Is it 3-times more powerful than a 5mm Nichia LED?
- Is it a 3-watt LED?
- Is it an LED with 3 power settings?
By using this terminology, Black Diamond has achieved the worst of both worlds, not only is the description not enough for a non-light geek to really understand, but neither is it technical enough for a light geek to feel confident in what he is buying.
How about underlining these terms and providing a mouse-over that would show comparisons of the LEDS, their real technical specs, and usage shots, so that an average user could get a sense of the light output and a techie could see the real specs?
And what about the “NRG Rechargable battery”?
- Is it a Lithium-Ion battery?
- Is it Metal Hydride?
- How much does it cost?
- Does it improve or hurt the battery life of the light?
- Can I buy the light already bundled with the battery and it’s charger, etc?
Finally, there’s the “single position switch.” I’m guessing it’s some sort of rubberized button-looking thing and that you just have to keep clicking it to rotate through all 7 of the modes until you get the one you want. But wouldn’t it be nice to know for sure:
- That a single position switch = clicky switch, like on a Mag-Light
- What exactly those 7 lighting modes are, and why I’d need that many modes
- Where the button is located?
From the pictures it looks like the “single position switch” might be on the bottom of the light, but assuming that’s the case, wouldn’t it be better to link the term “single position switch” to a mousover of that picture along with an explanation of how the switch functions and what the 7 modes are?
As for backcountry.com’s product page for this same headlamp, the page is too long for me to snap an encompasing screenshot and place it here, but I suggest you go to that page and take a look at all of the content rich resources that are provided, including:
- customer photos of the product in-use,
- user reviews, Q&A’s, and
- some actual, non-bullet-pointed, real copy.
But since we’re focusing on the copy, I’ve cut and pasted it below. Read it and see how many questions this copy answers that Black Diamond’s bullet points leave unclear:
“The Black Diamond Icon Headlamp uses two different types of LED bulbs to give you ultra-bright lighting when you need it and to save battery power when you don’t. The 3-watt center bulb has three settings for light up to 80 meters. Switch to the four SuperBright LED bulbs to get a 200-hour burn time when a lot of light isn’t necessary. This combination of long-distance lighting and long burn time makes the Black Diamond Icon Headlamp a stand-out choice for everything from backpacking to climbing to night skiing. In fact, it impressed Rock and Ice so much that they gave it their Best In Gear Award.
Bottom Line: The Black Diamond Icon Headlamp provides both bright lighting and long-lasting battery life for days on the trail, the rock, and the snow.”
Even if it’s not perfect, that copy is still much clearer, isn’t it? And understand this: the majority of what isn’t covered in this copy is covered in the user reviews, Q&A’s, etc. In fact, I’m convinced that the persuasive power of user reviews has as much to do with previous buyers unintentionally answering other customers’ questions within the reviews as it has to do with the increased credibility of user reviews.
Also, understand that this unexplained-term phenomenon isn’t exclusive to technical products, either; it happens in product descriptions for almost everything. I could have just as easily used tents and asked what the hell a double-wall tent is and why it should matter to me, and so on.
Reverse “The Curse” with Idiot Exercises
While “The Curse of Knowledge” can be hard to overcome, here are a few** sure-fire techniques to get you started on your journey to idiot-optimized copy:
- Do usability testing. Get someone outside your industry (go ahead and specify minimum industry knowledge in your user request) and watch them move through your site while recording their questions, thoughts, etc.
- Highlight every industry term, phrase, or concept on your site, write them down on a piece of paper, and start interviewing random people on the street about them, just like the guy did in the video.
- Willfully play the part of a 5 year old and ask repeated why questions regarding your industry terms and concepts. It’s best to team up with a partner/colleague on this one. Force each other to come up with answers a 10-year old would understand.
After having done any one, or all, of the 3 strategies, go back and re-evaluate your copy.
P.S. Hat tip to Seth Godin for finding the video and creating a great blog post around it
* Actually, there’s only one excuse: you’re purposely excluding a general audience in order to tightly focus on a hard-core group. In that case, go ahead amd talk the lingo without apologies, letting anyone and everyone else catch up if they can. Just realize that you WILL be alienating visitors and potential customers in order to appeal to that smaller, hard-core group.
** Of course, the best sure-fire method of escaping the curse of knowledge is simply to hire an outside copywriter/consultant/optimization specialist 
[Editor’s note: the author of this blog is now blogging at jeffsextonwrites.com
About the author
Jeff is a Persuasion Architect, Web copywriter, blogger, and instructor of FutureNow's Persuasive Online Copywriting workshop. Follow Jeff Sexton on twitter
More articles from Jeff Sexton
- Nobody wants to read your sh**!September 21st, 2009
- Redesign? Ask The Right Questions!September 18th, 2009
- Cross-post: How to Improve a Product Page, Part 1September 15th, 2009
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August 7th, 2009
1:57 pm
[...] I’m not an idiot, but I play one on online – and so should you! Click here to view the embedded video. [...]
August 7th, 2009
2:16 pm
We as professionals get so used to hearing terms related to our industries that we don’t even bat an eye when they are used. These are great ideas as to identifying which terms need to be defined.
Using more common language to define the terms not only allows your readers/customers to know what you’re trying to say, but it also makes you appear more casual and friendly. Using jargon that people don’t understand tends to push them away from you.
August 7th, 2009
7:56 pm
Jeff, thanks for this excellent post. It’s very easy to forget that our customers don’t know what “we are usability evangelists” or “our product is better because of our superior optimized search algorithms” (or whatever).
I think your suggestions for how to force ourselves to think like our customers, who don’t, after all, live in our technology-centric worlds, are excellent, and easy to follow. Nice job, I hope everyone heeds your advice.
Lisa
August 8th, 2009
2:56 am
W.R.T to Black Diamond,sometimes it may happen that you have(manufacture) many products but there are some product which you feel and believe are better that the other of your products.That may be the case with Black Diamond.May be they think that their carabiners is really good and will be more useful then the other ones.Or may be they think that their Carabiners has much more potential to sell in the market ,that’s why they put more emphasis on Carabiners.
August 8th, 2009
11:33 am
SEO Tips,
While I certainly understand showcasing your best selling items on the home page, that’s not the same thing as removing all navigation to other items from your home page is it? It would be an incredibly easy fix for them to simply add a top navigation bar to the current home page design. Maybe not ideal, but hundreds of times better than the current set-up.
- Jeff
August 11th, 2009
1:43 am
Jeff – Great reminder to read/view our marketing materials through a naive reader/viewer’s eyes. Thanks for the insightful comparison.
August 11th, 2009
3:25 am
[...] Or keep reading to see some real website examples. Either way, let me reassure you that way more of your website visitors just fundamentally don’t “get it” than you’d ever suspect. Either those visitors: – Click here for the rest of the story. [...]
August 11th, 2009
6:35 am
Fantastic post… something we are all guilty of for sure. I have caught myself making this mistake in coaching as well as copy writing. Back to basics with a call out for the uber geeks or your field.
August 11th, 2009
2:36 pm
Excellent post, Jeff. I couldn’t agree with you more that those of us who work on the site or in the company can struggle mighty hard to see things from the customer perspective (and, by the way, thanks for the link to my post). I think we also easily get caught up in what I call the Tree Stump Theory, something I happen to have posted on today. http://bit.ly/41EiZb Basically, we’re so close to what we work on and our terminology that we no longer question things that are completely unintuitive to anyone who encounters our sites, products, etc. for the first time. One we get deeply ingrained, we forgot what it’s like to encounter something with significantly less knowledge, and that can lead to a lot of problems. Thanks for helping to remind us all of the downside of losing that perspective.
August 12th, 2009
5:45 am
This is one of the best posts I’ve seen. It really highlights the problems we may not even think about. Thanks, ps loved the video.
August 12th, 2009
5:22 pm
Thanks Jeff – this is very good food for thought. We all strive to be customer driven in our design and copy writing, but it is sometimes easy to lose sight of the customer perspective when we speak about something that we work very closely with.
August 12th, 2009
7:51 pm
Brilliant post. We get this all the time, when designing websites for our clients……..But our clients will often use the line “but my customer understands this terminology, these acronyms, my customer is from a particular niche and they all use this terminology”…….It can be hard to argue this point, the client knows their customer better than us…… Yes usability tests would be a good way to prove to a client this problem, however it can be very difficult to find users who fits the persona.
August 13th, 2009
2:39 pm
[...] an issue/question that arrived in a comment to my post on Playing an Idiot Online [emphasis mine]: “Brilliant post. We get this all the time, when designing websites for our [...]
August 13th, 2009
2:46 pm
[...] an issue/question that arrived in a comment to my post on Playing an Idiot Online [emphasis mine]: “Brilliant post. We get this all the time, when designing websites for our [...]
August 26th, 2009
4:13 pm
Excellent post. I cant see things from the customer perspective and that`s why I show my sites to my offline friends before starting promotion
September 2nd, 2009
3:37 am
I am not a native English speaker, so I use my hubbie as a proof reader AND I ask him at the same time if he understands what my blog post is all about. If he does, everybody will
And no, he is not stupid, but it is simply not his field of expertise I am writing about. So, use your family to “idiot proof read” your blog posts, just stay away from seven year old geeks and nerds, they are normally more clever than you 
SY
September 14th, 2009
10:25 am
The key is how best to communicate to your target audience. Feedback from a range of potential customers can help a great deal. I’m amazed how different people will interpret and respond to the same web page.
September 29th, 2009
1:40 pm
once again, the writer in this site is so powerfull for choosing GREAT title. Nice work!
September 30th, 2009
11:05 pm
still you post a great articles, yeps.. it is how we communicate with customers and get the feedback from ‘em
October 13th, 2009
7:25 am
So many problems with product descriptions these days. Thanks for highlighting the main problems. If only the companies would take the advice.
October 13th, 2009
11:24 am
Some marketers describe the products in such a way to sell them.
October 13th, 2009
6:43 pm
Great Info! Thanks for the post!
October 14th, 2009
3:06 am
It’s a really Great information! Thanks a lot.
October 15th, 2009
2:17 am
i like the post
well done.
i think a good communication and feedback play an impertant role.
October 16th, 2009
12:06 pm
[...] http://www.grokdotcom.com/2009/08/07/im-not-an-idiot-but-i-play-one-on-online-and-so-should-you/ [...]
October 18th, 2009
5:56 pm
This is an important concept to grasp for most businesses. This is something I have always believed in and in fact I came across this idea when reading about Steve Jobs. He has mentioned several times that the power in Apple’s success comes from the ease of use of their products. He believes that most companies give the average consumer too much credit and that making the product easy to understand is the key in success. Just look at the design of the ipod, one could pick it up and be an expert in 5 mins – which is not to say that it is not a powerful product.
October 19th, 2009
2:23 pm
I couldn’t agree with you more that those of us who work on the site or in the company can struggle mighty hard to see things from the customer perspective (and, by the way, thanks for the link to my post)
October 20th, 2009
2:52 pm
i always try to be as basic as possible at the start but also add a table with all techie info
works for me
October 24th, 2009
1:47 pm
thanks
Jeff – Great reminder to read/view our marketing materials through a naive reader/viewer’s eyes. Thanks for the insightful comparison.
October 31st, 2009
1:48 pm
question to the video at the top: where is the relation to the article and what is ‘Chrome’ from Google *lol* ?
November 9th, 2009
6:43 pm
Excellent post, point well made.
This also relates to the challenge for engaging with clients, specifically new ones whose tech-savvy level you are unfamiliar with. In those cases, I’m constantly reminding myself to use laymen terms but at the same time not talk down to the client (who could potentially be more tech savvy then I’m aware).
What’s the worst is people who think they are 10 times more savvy than they actually are, spewing jargon and expounding comments that make no actuall sense. How do I even respond to that!?
November 14th, 2009
5:18 am
I am so surprised to see the people who don’t know the difference between browser and search engine. Of course it is a surprising info for me
Jeff.. Thanks for the excellent info.
November 14th, 2009
5:22 am
Will you give me the permission to post this video on my blog?
Thanks
November 14th, 2009
6:05 pm
Great article! Marketing material should really be kept as simple as possible.