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Every single product is created for the user. His desires and needs are a priority. He is the goal of our strivings and the most critical judge of whether we succeeded or not.
To achieve a good result, the copywriter and designer must work on the design concept together. Together they create the information architecture of the site/product page from scratch. Highly qualified UX copywriters often work together not only with designers but also with developers. And while working, they ask tons of questions to understand how the product works and why specific design decisions were made.
It is crucial to start creating texts as quickly as possible because problems with writing clear, concise text often identify a problem in the UX design itself. And it’s much easier to solve those problems at an early stage. Attracting a copywriter at the very end of the creative process is “like trying to put the toothpaste back in a tube,” as the Pulitzer Prize winner John Steinbeck said.
UX-copywriting is one of the leading web design trends in the USA since 2018. UX copywriting is based on two simple principles: respect for visitors and the benefits that a company can give them. Respect also includes saving the visitor’s time: therefore, the content should be brief and comprehensive.
UX copywriter can increase conversion by merely changing the inscription on the CTA-button.
UX-copywriting is also a part of the content strategy, as well as an integral part of UX. Actually, it can be considered as an additional influence tool. The goal of UX texts is to help the user achieve his goals. The Golden Rule of UX Copywriting claims: Benefit the User instead of reciting your best lines, using tons of keywords for SEO, or praising your company.
The goal of UX copywriting is to establish brand to consumer/customer communication:
A good UX copywriter knows how to build texts (WHAT the brand says).
An excellent UX copywriter can turn every word into a brand message. At this stage that the brand voice appears in the texts, its style, signature words, etc. (HOW the brand says it).
It is important to speak directly, without any hints and jargon, so that you are equally well understood by a university professor, a housewife with three children, and a doner kebab seller. Some ux copywriting tips for effective content are provided below.
Clarity
The texts are understandable, describe not only feelings but actions. Great UX copywriting uses verbs because they explain what users need to do: “Enter”, “Press”, “Learn”, “Subscribe”, “Share with friends”, etc.
.jpg "The Principles of Successful UX Copywriting - Clarity")
In the context of new products release, this means describing NOT new features of the product, BUT new actions that you can do with it: “Download the passport photo”, “Scan the bar code”, “Buy in one click”.
Laconicism
Each word in a good UX text carries a specific semantic load and performs a particular task. 0% water, 100% functionality. If a single word cannot be discarded from the text, this is an excellent text. To create one, use the rule: the basic information must be said first. And then ruthlessly remove the rest of the words.
The same goes for words that can be replaced with visual elements. Sometimes, for the best effect, you should use the graphics: circle the desired line, highlight it to draw the user's attention.
.jpg "The principles of successful UX copywriting - Laconicism")
Usefulness
The user looks for an answer to a single question: how to get what he needs. And your text should answer it as briefly and clearly as possible.
To write useful text, it is essential to understand the possible difficulties the user face with. Put yourself in his place and feel what went wrong. For example, if the user could not log into the account the first time, there may be 2 main possible reasons: he made a mistake when entering the password or forgot it.
.jpg "The principles of successful UX copywriting - Usefulness")
Copywriting UX, what is the secret? It always gives the very information the user needs at a proper time.
Sequence
UX copywriting is not a field for literary frills. If you sell furniture, do not call it first furniture, then interior items, after those elements of decor. Keep users focused. Furniture means furniture. Examples of ux copywriting show this clearly.
Opportuneness
This paragraph applies to interactive elements of the website. Users love being surprised, but only when they want it. In practice, users hate сreative buttons whose values they do not understand. But they love elements that creatively show familiar items.
The same goes for animation. Users will be annoyed by the animation that appears in the middle of the registration process (distracting!), but they will happily accept the one that congratulates them on the completed action.
Timeliness
UX copywriting examples show the tendency to avoid exact dates – dates do not matter. The needed impression and mood is created if you use the words "yesterday", "today", "tomorrow". They are much more understandable and pleasant to users and do not force them to look at the calendar every time.
What is your brand like? What is his character? Maybe he's a perky young guy, a little hipster, with a glass of smoothie in his hand and fashionable slang words in stock? Or your brand is a strict lady boss in a business suit and with a glass of skinny latte? Or maybe it is an intelligent professor of philosophy who collects butterflies in leisure?
To understand this, focus on the main product and its key function. They will give a clue to both character and distinctive features and vocabulary. Maybe your brand will have a favorite word or expression. Why not? The main thing is to create an individual, recognizable, and popular brand voice for your audience.
Then the hipster will say: “Ooops, mistake with the password. Try again". The lady boss will emotionless acknowledge: "Verify the password and enter again." And the professor will carefully remind: “Mistakes happen. Try again." When we talk about Brand Voice UX copywriting in an app is the same as website UX copywriting.
Creating a brand voice is related to developing a character in marketing. First, you need to answer a ton of questions about your brand, as if it were a person. What he (from now on also she) is, how old he is, what he loves, what he does in his free time, what kind of music he listens to, what words would describe him, etc. And most importantly, why people should be interested in meeting him.
By doing so, you will get not only the image of the product but also a fundamental understanding of your customers. You will understand what words to use speaking with them and what content style should be on your site.
Having created a strong, recognizable brand voice, you can safely play with its tones. As if a living person were talking earnestly, playfully, modestly, sadly, or joyfully. Develop a scale of moods and phrases suitable for each situation and use them at various points of user interaction.
For example, what inscription will appear when the user makes a purchase? When he subscribes to the newsletter? Unsubscribes. Makes an article repost from your blog. Create a guideline for all these cases.
The main thing in digital UX copywriting is that the mood of the brand coincides with the user's mood. To ensure this, you need to clearly understand why the user performs an action and how he feels in the process. Create a sense of empathic connection between the brand and the user, and you are sitting pretty.
It doesn’t matter if you create a website/application from scratch or redesign an existing one, you need to think through each stage of user interaction. And each word of content plays its remarkable role. That is why UX copywriting should go hand in hand with development and design.
UX-copywriting of high-quality takes a lot of time and effort. Its tasks go way beyond writing eye-catching texts. Sometimes it’s even vice versa – the content is not written in hoity-toity or elegant language, but is too straightforward and as if cut short.
The beauty of UX copywriting is its effectiveness. And if the user moves from A to B (from the main page to purchase effecting) in a short period of time, if everything is clear to him on your website and he comes back again and again, then your UX is working and all the efforts are worth it. After all, every word on your website or application is part of communication with the client. And the task of the UX copywriter is to make this communication effective.
Want to create a product that takes into account all the necessary steps at the very initial stage? Just contact us, and we will offer options that are most suitable for your business.
