When “Technical Jargon” Is Used to Sell You Fear
When people are being hired to build or manage websites, a lot of buzzwords get thrown around.
Not because they’re necessary — but because they sound impressive.
Many service providers rely on the fact that most clients don’t know what those technical terms actually mean. The goal isn’t clarity; it’s confusion. If something sounds complicated or serious enough, you’re more likely to keep paying.
I’ve seen this firsthand.
A couple I know hired someone through a gig platform to build their website. Over time, the developer kept finding “critical issues” that conveniently required more paid work to fix. The problems were framed as complex, urgent, and dangerous — when in reality, most of them were minor or routine.
In fact, I’m not convinced the person truly understood WordPress beyond the basics.
The Low Barrier Problem
Building websites can be a solid income stream, and there are plenty of short online courses that teach the fundamentals. That’s not a bad thing — education is accessible, and everyone starts somewhere.
The problem is that many people stop at “just enough to sell.”
They complete a quick course, list themselves on platforms like AirTasker or Fiverr, and start offering services without fully understanding security, maintenance, or long-term site management. As a result:
- Sites are built insecurely
- Updates and patching are ignored
- Clients are charged for fixes they don’t actually need
- Or worse — the developer disappears once the site is “done”
From the client’s perspective, everything looks fine… until something breaks, gets compromised, or quietly degrades over time.
Websites Aren’t “Set and Forget”
One of the biggest misconceptions is that a website, once built, doesn’t need ongoing attention. In reality:
- Software updates matter
- Plugins introduce risk
- Hosting environments change
- Security issues don’t announce themselves
If no one is monitoring or maintaining your site — and you don’t know what to look for — you’re effectively left in the dark.
The Takeaway
This isn’t a warning against freelancers or small developers. Plenty of them do excellent work.
It is a reminder to be cautious when:
- Everything sounds urgent but vague
- Problems can’t be clearly explained in plain language
- You’re discouraged from asking questions
- Fear is used as the primary sales tactic
A good professional should be able to explain what’s wrong, why it matters, and what actually needs fixing — without hiding behind jargon.
If you don’t understand something, that’s okay.
If someone won’t explain it clearly, that’s the red flag.