By reading this article, you’ll boost the effectiveness of your product’s UX x10. Do you want to continue?
So, what distinguishes a really high-end microcopy?
Your user hasn’t to spend more than 5 seconds wondering where they need to navigate or what they should do. Simplicity is everything both in design and writing.
Using polite and common phrases humanizes your writing and fills it with emotions. Try using casual words like “wow”, “oops”, “awesome”. See how lightweight these phrases seem:
Microcopy was named so not without a reason. Avoid using long sentences and expletive constructions.
Do you have some ideas from your marketing ads or maybe even your own slang words? Discuss that with the marketing department and see what you can add to the UX!
No one will read a dense canvas of letters and words till the end. Add headings and lists with bullet points (just like we did that in this article)!
If you have several elements on a list, check if they answer the same question. Generate several questions and try different options before approving the final version. Homogeneity will allow the user to quickly understand what they need to choose.
With your UX copy, you have to reach out to the target audience. Otherwise, your effort will be lost like tears in rain. :) Who are those people? Which language do they prefer? Use appropriate style and tone of voice for those people.
Does it need writing at all? Such things as calendars, calculators, clocks don’t need it. What about yours? How much text will make it more effective, appealing and worth paying money, if you offer a subscription?
Remember what we told you about a perfect microcopy? Be straightforward, brief, concise, and logical. Use brand phrases and conversational tone. Make your copy scannable and add images or buttons, if necessary. Keep in mind the 5 C’s of UX writing.
The list of features never works as great as showing exact benefits to customers. Demonstrate which results they will achieve by using these features. List issues that will be solved by your product.
Appeal to emotions, while keeping a polite tone. Bring life into your text. For example, when writing about errors, don’t just state the facts. Explain the reasons for that and tell the user how you might help.
Is everything clear at the first glance? Where would you need help? If you are not sure, ask your colleagues or acquaintances to take a look at your copy and fix everything with what they have issues.
Do UX writers make mistakes? Sure thing! You’ll even recall some UX errors you’ve come across while reading our list:
Sure, no one will die when reading “Clik the buton”, but the fact that the writer hasn’t checked the text before posting it will definitely be deposited in the user's head. This can affect the overall impression of the product, or worse, its reputation in the market.
It’s not a disaster if you write “Click here to continue” or “Add to cart”. However, imagine how effective emotional phrases would be. For example: “I’m ready!” or “Take me there now!”
The ultimate goal of UX writing is simplifying the interaction with interfaces, not complicating it. We mean questions like: “Which option do you like?” followed by two buttons “Yes” and “No.” Users just won’t get what you want from them! Always double-check the lucidity of your microcopy.
We won’t repeat ourselves by saying once again that you should use understandable and brief phrases. Our final recommendations for you will be as follows:
Voila!
Your UX copy is ready to be tested with real users. You can even conduct A/B testing with two-three options to discover what works better for your product.