Person obsessing over words to enable you an easy, positive, and delightful user experience? A UX (copy)writer!
When it comes to user experience, the small things are the big things. And this is the one thing all UX copywriters know.
Do you know that visit-to-lead conversions can be 400% higher on websites with a “superior” user experience?
In the past, it seemed that user experience was only about the functionality of the website. But times are changing, and UX copywriting has become a burning topic today.
Most people are unfamiliar with UX writing in general but don’t worry. We got you covered. In this article, we reveal why the quality text is essential for the user experience and how to improve it on your website.
What is UX copywriting?
“UX copywriting, or user-experience copywriting, is the act of writing and structuring copy that moves digital users, like visitors and customers, toward intuitively accomplishing a goal.” – copyhackers.com
It is a design discipline that aims to enhance the user experience with the help of micro-content or UX content.
The UX in UX writing stands for User Experience, which means writing with one goal in mind – to make sure people have a great user experience while using your product.
UX writers use their words to guide, educate and explain. They organize the words that appear on the website or app, so they make sense. They also make sure that notification headlines and button link labels are as clear and easy to read as possible.
The primary role of UX writing is to devise a perfect blend of words and images, functions, and other digital elements to create an inspiring and consistent narrative. It aims to enable meaningful, friendly “conversation” between the user and the digital product through microscopy. The conversation is the core of UX writing.
Small words for big impact
An essential task in UX writing is microcopy writing. Microcopy usually refers to a single word or phrase used to grab users’ attention and provide them with more relevant information as it guides them through a website. It is one key element of the design process.
Microcopy is tiny bits of text that instruct and alleviate the concerns of your users. They are anywhere, from headings, navigation, button titles, and guide users on the actions they need to take.
A good microcopy is:
- Short: one word to one sentence
- Targeted: it should be tailored according to context and collected customer data.
- Contextual: it changes based on the users’ needs and actions they already performed or activities that they’re about to perform.
Microcopy is the way to guide people and help them get where they want to go. A good example is the CTA button that tells which next step to take and resonates with the user’s desire.
In the example above, putting only ‘OK’ or ‘Try again’ in a Call to Action is not a good action. There is always a chance that the user forgot the password. In this case, offer proper CTA, with both ‘Try again’ and ‘Recover password’, so the users can choose an option they are looking for.
UX writing has to ANSWER users’ questions and GUIDE them through tasks.
What is the difference between the UX writers and copywriters?
Copywriters primarily focus on copy standing out, while UX writers primarily focus on how copy does not stand out. They write legible yet straightforward copy that enables the user smooth and fast navigation through the product.
A good copy vs. a lousy copy makes the difference between a failed or a successful project in generating leads, sales, and other goals. That’s why copywriting is essential.
A UX writer is someone who writes for user experience, guiding them through the product. The goal of UX writers is to find an effective way to establish a conversation with users, meet user needs, resolve existing pain points, and build trust between the user and the product and brand, creating a more inclusive user experience.
Copywriting is more about getting a person’s attention and attracting customers, and they are associated with marketing.
A copywriter is interested in metrics related to the content of a copy or a page, like time spent on the page, bounce rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates. UX writers are interested in metrics related to product usages like daily sessions, daily active usage, “stickiness”, ease of use, and user satisfaction.
UX writers write the following content:
- Instructions and information regarding the use of tools (for example, how to install the application or start using it)
- Create and implement a content strategy
- Create a seamless flow for the user throughout the App
- Calls to Action (CTA)
- Notifications, warnings, and errors
- Lists and forms
Why is it important to have writers on the team?
- Writers use conversational language more, which makes it easier for users to understand the product.
- They know how to add feelings and provoke users emotional reaction
- Writers know how to maintain brand consistency while following a company’s style, tone of voice, etc.
- They are focused on details and usually do not miss misspelled words, misspelled commas, or incorrect phrases, which increases trust in the product.
What does UX copywriting look like in practice?
Examples of UX copywriting
Page not found errors: This is the perfect playground for every UX writer. When errors occur, the ideal content should be entertaining and help assuage the frustration of lost and disoriented customers.
Simple questions: UX writers are trained to guide users by telling them what to do, which way to go and what action to take by writing an engaging Call to Action (CTA).
Asking is better than a command, and Netflix is the best example for politely asking their users the question Who’s watching?
Clever Call to Actions: Copy has to be concise and descriptive and guide users along.
Grammarly is an excellent example of how to use concise copy to explain a product to users. As you can see, even a few simple but carefully written words can encourage your users to use your brand.
Adding “It’s free” on a Call to Action button made it clear that users can easily add Grammarly to Chrome without any further costs.
How to improve UX copywriting and provide a better user experience of your site?
UX copywriting is all about making your customers’ life easier. Here are some key principles of UX copywriting to help you be more inclusive with your audience, interact more with your users and convert them into potential satisfied customers.
Identify your ideal user
Research your ideal user or buyer persona.
You have to know what could drive your users to take the action you want them to take, their wishes, problems, level of education, financial situation, geographic location, etc. The data you collect will guide you to know what to write and how to talk to your ideal users.
Write for your user
We like to repeat this sentence often – Put your users first and write for them, not search engines.
Search engines are interested in delivering quality search results to real people. If your copy doesn’t give a good user experience that converts and encourages users to take action, your website’s number of page visitors is irrelevant.
Whenever you can, avoid talking about yourself. Talk about how you can help the user and you will improve their experience on your site.
Focus on benefits
You want to emphasize how you’re gonna benefit the user as opposed to talking about features or yourself and your company. Providing information on how you are proud of your company won’t help the user to take action.
Think about voice, tone, and style
Voice is personality and the way you talk to your users, a consistent expression of your brand.
An example of what voice could be:
- Bold, but not arrogant
- Irreverent, but not offensive
- Loud, but not obnoxious
The tone is the way you speak within context, your attitude. It can be exciting, direct, friendly, or sorry.
Style is simply an editorial guide. For example, it can be your company’s style guide, where you write down how you want to communicate with your users.
Use simple and concise language
Less is more.
Use inclusive, familiar language that everyone understands. Write short and clear to avoid ambiguity. If the user is not sure which next step to take, they will leave your site. Communicating a clear message will keep users longer on your website.
Use words and phrases that will resonate with your users or customers. It is essential to know which words will get your ideal customer to react in the way you want them to.
Create information flow in your writing
Think about how the structure of information and what information needs to come first. If users have to jump around for information while navigating through your site, your copy doesn’t provide a positive user experience.
Pay attention to navigation. For example, suppose users click a button that says “Find out more about our product”. In that case, they will expect to see more details of your product, its features, prices, customer testimonials, and information on how to buy.
Tell a story
Storytelling is one of the great ways to create a great user experience. If you want to design for users, then you also need to think like users. It is helpful to imagine a user persona representing the average user of your products or services.
“Every great design starts with an even bigger story.” – designer and creative director Lorinda Mamo. Storytelling is undoubtedly one of the best ways to create narratives that empower your brand or digital product.
With these tips and principles in mind, you can create compelling website copy that leads to a better experience for your visitors.
Make reader’s journey easier with UX copywriting
Companies around the world are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of original digital content. This has led to an inevitable increase in demand for UX writers in the business market because each word has a specific impact on user behavior.
Ready to make an enjoyable experience for your users when they land on your website or use your App? Listen to your audience, write for them, understand their desires, fears, and frustrations to provide them a good user experience.
If you plan to create a new website for your business and would like to find experts in web design, you do not have to seek any further. Contact our marketing team to help you with your queries.
Is there anything else you would like to know about UX writing? Let us know!