Your Website Should Explain What You Do in Plain English

TL;DR / Key Takeaways

• Vague website copy is one of the most common reasons potential customers leave without contacting you.
• Google and AI search tools read your pages the same way a new visitor does — if the words are unclear, you get skipped.
• Plain English descriptions of what you do, who you help, and how to reach you are the foundation of a website that actually works.
• You do not need a fancy redesign. You need clearer words on the pages you already have.
• Start by reading your homepage out loud and asking whether a stranger would know exactly what you do and who you serve.

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The Problem Is Usually the Copy

Most small business websites I look at have the same issue. The design is fine. The layout works. But the words are vague.

Phrases like "delivering innovative solutions for your business needs" or "helping clients achieve their goals through strategic partnerships" say nothing. They could describe almost any company in any industry.

A visitor lands on your page with a specific problem in their head. If they cannot tell within a few seconds whether you solve that problem, they leave.

That is not a design problem. It is a clarity problem.

What a Vague Website Costs You

The obvious cost is lost leads. Someone arrives, cannot figure out what you do, and goes to a competitor whose site actually explains it.

The less obvious cost is your standing in search results. Google has spent years getting better at understanding what a page is actually about. If your page is full of non-specific language, Google has a harder time matching it to the right searches.

The newest cost is AI search. When someone asks an AI tool a question about a service you offer, that tool looks at your site to decide whether you are a useful answer. If your pages are unclear, the AI will skip you or summarize you inaccurately.

Clear copy is not just a customer experience issue anymore. It is an SEO issue and an AI visibility issue at the same time.

What Clear Actually Looks Like

Clear does not mean simple in a condescending way. It means specific enough to be useful.

Compare these two homepage headlines:

Vague: "Smart solutions for modern businesses."

Clear: "We handle bookkeeping for independent contractors in the trades."

The second one is shorter and sounds less impressive. It is also ten times more useful to the right person reading it.

Clear copy answers four questions without making the reader hunt:

1. What do you do?
2. Who do you do it for?
3. Why would someone hire you over someone else?
4. What should they do next?

If your homepage answers all four of those, you are ahead of most of your competitors.

Service Pages Are Usually the Weakest Link

Home pages often get the most attention during a redesign. Service pages get neglected.

But service pages are where Google sends people when they search for something specific. They are also what AI tools read when they are trying to figure out whether your business matches a query.

A good service page should explain:

• What the service is, in plain terms
• What problem it solves
• Who it is right for
• What the process looks like in rough terms
• How to get started

You do not need ten paragraphs. You need clear ones.

If your service page says "We offer comprehensive consulting engagements tailored to your unique needs," rewrite it. Tell me what you actually do in a meeting with a client. Start from there.

The AI Search Piece Is Worth Taking Seriously

AI search tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google's AI overviews are reading the web and summarizing it for users. When someone asks one of these tools "who does X in Y area," the tool is pulling from pages it can understand.

If your pages are vague, the tool either skips you or gets your description wrong.

If your pages are clear, the tool can accurately represent your business and point someone toward you.

This is not about tricks or optimization games. It is about saying what you do clearly enough that both humans and software can understand it. That has always been good practice. It is just more consequential now.

Where to Start

You do not need to rebuild your site. Start with what you have.

Read your homepage out loud. Pretend you are someone who has never heard of your business. Would you understand what it does? Would you know if it was right for you? Would you know how to contact them?

Then look at your service pages one at a time. Ask whether each one would make sense to a first-time visitor with a specific problem to solve.

Rewrite the vague parts in plain English. Be specific about who you help and what you actually do for them.

If you have a blog, make sure each post is clear about what it covers and who it is useful for. AI tools pull from blog content too.

A Note on Structure

Clarity is not only about the words. It also helps to structure your pages so the important information is easy to find.

Short paragraphs. Descriptive headings. A clear call to action. Contact information that does not require three clicks to find.

These things matter for readers and for search tools. A page that is easy to scan is a page that communicates quickly.

If you are working with a developer or thinking about rebuilding your site, make sure whoever you work with understands that the goal is clarity and structure, not just aesthetics. A beautiful website that nobody understands is not an asset.

The Bottom Line

Your website is often the first impression a potential customer gets of your business. If that impression is vague, they move on. If it is clear, they stay and they contact you.

The same clarity that helps customers helps Google and AI search tools point people toward you. Start by looking honestly at what your pages actually say, and rewrite anything that sounds like it was written to avoid saying something specific.

Plain English is not a limitation. It is the whole point.