Jargon and tech speak

At Pixel Union, we write for a wide range of audiences. Some of our readers have advanced technical knowledge far beyond that of our content writers. Others don't know what a theme is. Still others speak Spanish, Mandarin, Russian, or Farsi as their first language.

For this reason, we aim to make our content as clear and straightforward as possible. And the best way to accomplish that is to use plain language.

Plain language is the opposite of jargon. It is inclusive, familiar, and easily interpreted. It is not fancy terminology designed to make you sound smart and your reader feel stupid.

Here's a short—and certainly not complete—list of terms to avoid in public-facing communications. All of these words have plain-language equivalents, or can be explained in accessible terms.*

• API

• bandwidth

• churn

• CMS

• deep dive

• deploy

• dialogue (as a verb)

• ecosystem

• ideation

• impression

• interface

• MVP

• ping

• SKU

• SMB

• silo

• sunsetting

• thought leader

• widget

• WYSIWYG

If you must use a technical term, briefly define it so that everyone can understand.

It's also a good idea to include examples, as we've done in the example below to explain a new "mega menu" feature:

Having said this, you're not writing for someone born in the Stone Age. It's safe to assume that most people we engage with have a basic understanding of ecommerce technology and know that a dashboard is an admin screen rather than a panel in their car.

For fairness' sake, here's a short list of jargon (let's call it "terminology") that you don't need to define when you're writing about ecommerce.*

• analytics

• brick and mortar

• call to action

• cart

• conversions

• fulfillment

• inventory

• landing page

• mobile-first/friendly

• outsource

• supply chain

• upsell

• wholesale

* These are admittedly highly subjective lists that will inevitably change with time. "Breadcrumbed" and "mansplaining" both made it into the Oxford English Dictionary in 2018, and we're sure it's only a matter of time before "SMB" and "ping" make their way into the common vernacular. Stay tuned.