We’re long past the days where you could run a business without a website. You need one. That’s not even debated any more. But now that you do have a website (if not, call us) are you talking to your audience? Like, are you truly speaking to them?

First off, are you using language that is way above, or way below your target audience’s understanding? If your target audience is lawyers, you can use very specific language to talk to lawyers. But if you are a lawyer and you’re using your website to attract clients you can’t use the same terminology and methods to attract non-lawyers. People need to understand what you’re saying.

We’ve talked about Hemingway App before, and it’s perfect for this application. Simply paste in your text and HemingwayApp will tell you the readability, and tell you which sentences are difficult to read and give you some grammar notes (Which I desperately need. My mom emails me when she notices grammatical errors in my blogs. Hi Mom!)

That’s language, but how about tone?

Cards Against Humanity is a fun, albeit incredibly offensive game and they definitely know their brand. They know their customers have great sense of humor and have fun with their content on their site. They have a frequently asked questions section, but they call it “Your Dumb Questions” and the answers are delivered with a certain level of snark.

Even their check out process is great. At the end of the check out process they have a few options, to cancel the order you just placed, contact them, or go outside, which is a link to the parks in your area.

I’ve spoken of my love for everything Louis CK before, and what he can teach you about email marketing. He knows his audience. This is the email you get if you forget your password.

Not many people can call their fans and customers “stupid” and “numbnuts”, but Louis CK can. Sure, he could have sent a boring password reset email, but that’s not him. He wants everything he does to encompass who he is and his brand.

My wife loves reading The Skimm, a daily email newsletter that delivers the day’s top news stories in easy to manage bites, with links to more in-depth articles if you are interested in continuing. My wife especially loves the sass in the commentary.

These are just a few examples of understanding your audience. A little research up front can tell you a lot about your customers, and how you should speak to them.

This article originally appeared on LyntonWeb.