It’s a good opportunity for us as professional writers to get a bit of credit for what we do, day in, day out for a wide range of clients and their audiences.

I’ve referenced this article in my own post on the subject here: http://justtherightwords.co.uk/2011/07/15/accuracy-counts-as-mistakes-cost-millions/

I also dislike the use of ‘those’ to mean people. As in: The ramps are designed for those in wheelchairs.

I could go on, but I won’t!
Leif Kendall recently posted Content strategy- a definition

To be fair the sentiment is fine – a combination of hardware, software and know-how that solves business problems – but it’s generally lost in an ocean of ‘meh!’, that you inevitably stop reading or listening.

Thanks very much for the comments.

David – you’re right that you have to think about every aspect of what you write and SEO is clearly an important factor. If you’re writing for one of the big players, then maybe a term like ‘IT solutions’ makes sense. Many companies would struggle to rank highly for that term, though.

Tom – client boredom is an interesting and often-overlooked issue. When you’ve seen something a thousand times, it can be hard to appreciate that your readers might be coming to it fresh.

Why do they like it? It’s partly because, as you say, they think it makes them look good. In trades such as building, they should take a long hard look at their readers and think about what effect those words are actually having – generating indifference at best, outright irritation at worst.

Another reason, I think, is that firms simply get bored with their own offering. It’s so familiar to them that describing it simply and directly just doesn’t push any of their buttons any more. They feel like they have to big it up to make it more vivid.

However, if readers are searching online, the last thing you want to do is obscure the reality of a business when people have a whole page of other search results right there under the ‘back’ button. First time visitors MUST understand they’ve reached their destination.
Tom Albrighton recently posted Tinker- tailor- soldier- copywriter

I absolutely agree – meaningless generalised terms convey nothing concrete and can be little more than mood music in the background as opposed to a stunning and original guitar riff that demands your attention.

One of the times when I step back from this position a little, though, is when it comes to websites. Much as you would want to avoid such terms in effective copy, SEO can throw a spanner in the works. “IT solutions” had 201,000 searches last month. As you say, these terms are incredibly common, but that also means some of them are potentially useful in gathering search traffic.

I suppose it’s a question of judging each case on its merits, but just sometimes the abstraction can justify itself. Not that I’m suggesting this is a solution… ;-)