Have you ever tried to read an insurance policy or a website FAQ and felt completely lost in a maze of legal jargon and endless sentences? You're not alone. The insurance industry has long been criticized for its complex, inaccessible language. But this isn't just a minor inconvenience—it's a major business problem that erodes customer trust and hinders sales. In an insightful interview, Gidon Wagner from Wortliga explains why clear communication is decisive for the insurance sector and how companies can transform their customer interactions from confusing to compelling.

Diagnosing the Problem: How to Measure Readability

Wagner's company uses software based on the Hamburg Comprehensibility Concept, which identifies four key factors for clear writing: brevity, structure, simplicity, and engaging additions. The tool analyzes texts, flagging issues like overly long sentences, complex words, passive voice, and heavy noun styles. "All of this lengthens texts, makes them complicated, and boring to read," Wagner notes. "It presents readers' brains with unnecessary challenges."

The software calculates a comprehensibility index from 0 to 100. A score above 60 indicates general understandability, with the optimal range between 60 and 80. It also assesses the language level, reliably identifying if a text is at the generally understandable B1 to B2 level—a crucial benchmark for reaching a broad audience.

Where Complexity Thrives: FAQs and Policy Documents

In studies of insurer websites, Wagner's team found a troubling pattern: texts become more complicated the deeper they delve into product details. This is especially noticeable in FAQ sections—the very areas designed to answer customer questions. "These text modules often appear in search results and thus have a particularly strong impact, positive or negative," Wagner points out.

Policy documents and contracts follow a similar trajectory. They often start relatively clearly but grow increasingly complex. "Understandable writing is strenuous," Wagner suggests. "I suspect that's why authors find it harder to maintain a customer-friendly style in longer documents." This is compounded by mandatory legal clauses and text modules.

Myth Busting: Precision Doesn't Require Complexity

A common defense for complex language is legal necessity. However, Wagner challenges this notion head-on. "The classic German contract sentence is nested. But a sentence does not lose precision if I split it into three sentences. That's a prejudice," he asserts. He points to the Anglo-Saxon world as proof, where highly precise legal language can still be customer-friendly.

He cites examples from the United States, where authorities have simplified legal texts without increasing litigation. "On the contrary, there were fewer ambiguities. Citizens call less often and have fewer questions about laws." The issue, he argues, is institutional. German and EU contracts rely on complicated formulations because they strictly adhere to text modules from laws to ensure compliance. "The legislature would have to start casting legal formulations into plain language. That works! The USA, but also Canada and the UK, are leading the way."

The Business Case: Clear Language Builds Trust and Boosts Sales

The benefits of clear communication extend beyond good intentions—they're measurable. Wagner references a 2009 Siegel+Gale survey showing that 84% of consumers are more likely to trust companies that avoid jargon. Other studies indicate that website conversion rates are directly influenced by content comprehensibility.

"Recently, I spoke with the marketing director of a large insurance company who told me that their online completions have improved significantly since they revised and wrote their texts more understandably," Wagner shares. Clear language is particularly vital when customers must engage with content independently, without an agent to explain it.

Tools and Training: How Insurers Can Improve

Wortliga provides insurers with a suite of tools, including AI-powered rewriting software that can automatically simplify text into a desired style. This assists employees who use internal chatbots or tools like ChatGPT, where the output can often be stiff and impersonal.

However, Wagner emphasizes that technology should complement, not replace, human skill development. "The competence for customer-oriented communication must remain with the employees," he insists. Detailed text analyses help employees learn and improve. Therefore, training and e-learning in "writing competence" are crucial for sustainable improvement and cost savings.

The Legal Imperative: Accessibility Strengthening Act (BFSG)

Beyond good business sense, there's a growing legal mandate for clarity. Germany's Barrier-Free Strengthening Act (BFSG) requires companies to make their digital offerings accessible. This includes websites, mobile apps, and electronic documents—core areas of customer communication. Requirements encompass readable fonts and contrast, alternative texts for images, screen reader compatibility, clear navigation, and the use of understandable language (B1/B2 level).

"For complex products like insurance, barrier-free texts help make information more understandable and accessible to more people," Wagner explains. Companies that implement these standards early will benefit from a broader target group and increased customer satisfaction, all while ensuring compliance as the regulations fully take effect by mid-2025.

For you, whether you're a consumer seeking clarity or a professional in the industry, the message is clear: simplifying insurance language isn't "dumbing down"—it's opening up. It's about respecting the customer's time and intelligence, building trust through transparency, and ultimately, ensuring that vital financial protection is understandable to everyone who needs it. The future of insurance communication is plain, precise, and powerful.