UX-writing is an integrated part of UX design
UX writing is more than just another cryptic English loanword. It is an integrated part of UX design that deserves your attention. It’s about how you can gain more satisfied users and customers with well-placed, well-written, and concise text – microcopy.
It all started in 2009 when Joshua Porter described how he added a small text in a checkout flow of an online store. Between five and ten percent of purchases could never be completed because buyers filled in the wrong billing address. Porter added the text "Remember that the billing address must match your credit card." And just like that, the lost purchases disappeared. Or rather: they were transformed into completed purchases.
– UX writing is about guiding visitors in the right direction with words. It’s about taking them by the hand and saying "Hey, this is the way – follow me!" and leading, instructing, and motivating them along the way to do what both they and you want them to do. It could be making a purchase, subscribing to a newsletter, contacting a salesperson, registering a product, signing a petition, or booking an appointment with a midwife, says Johan Edberg, copywriter and strategist at Bombayworks.
UX writing is about guiding, instructing, and motivating users along the way to do what both they and you want them to do.
The industry generates billions of dollars every year, but despite Jeff Bezos and his peers raking in gold, we leave more than 75% of shopping carts unpurchased. Why is that? One main reason is frustration. The buyer finds it complicated; they have to create an account, fill in an address, card number, delivery address, choose delivery options, and check or uncheck boxes. Here, there needs to be an unwavering focus on making the process as smooth as possible for the customer. Otherwise, the browser window will quickly close, and the well-filled cart will vanish into oblivion. Guiding microcopy is a central part of this. With the right instructions and reasonable guidance, your checkout flow will be smoother, and the abandoned shopping carts will likely be fewer.
Don’t complicate things for the user – it creates frustration and benefits only your smoother competitors.
Users flee from complications
Every day we encounter services and sites where complications reign. Does the bank want "19" before the personal number at login or not? Sometimes "email address or password" is wrong. Which one, you wonder. Sometimes, you don’t even get a hint of information, just a message saying "An error occurred." Thanks for that, what do you expect me to do? The examples are many, and you probably have your own horror stories. What happens in these frustrating situations is that users turn elsewhere. To a competitor, to customer service, or to review sites. But, of course, this can be avoided.
UX writing – for a better user experience
– Microcopy is a great tool for reducing frustration and even turning it into delight, says Johan Edberg and continues:
– And a delighted user is, of course, a good user. Moreover, they are cheap to retain. Those who make mistakes are expensive because they burden customer service or, in the worst (and quite common) case, don’t return at all. No matter how much re-targeting, marketing automation, and newsletters you throw at them.
In the shadows of the market always lurks a competitor who is smoother and more understandable than you, ready to embrace your frustrated users with an effortless experience. Microcopy, along with user-centered design, ensures that as many people as possible use your service from A to Z – and are satisfied afterward. It will show. Not least in your bottom line.
Get started with your UX writing – 8 tips on the way
Audit your service or site. Where are the biggest drop-offs? Once you know this, it’s easier to understand what needs to be done.
Put your user first – what do they need to know? It's not necessarily about what you want to say, but what the user needs to know. How can you help them along the way?
Address the user directly. Write conversationally and use "you" to create a connection.
Be clear and concise. Use economical language, without embellishments – no matter how elegant they may be. And jargon is forbidden – everyone must understand.
Microcopy doesn’t need to be entertaining or funny – it should primarily be guiding.
Keep track of your brand’s tone. Your UX copy should of course follow the rest of the communication in voice and tone. But don’t forget to keep it concise.
A/B test everything! Test your way to the option that gives the best results.
And by the way, never call your user a "user" out loud. It’s technical and soulless. No one sees themselves as a user, but as a person using a digital service.
Here’s more to read and learn:
Please Copy me – Mattias Åkerberg writes about the basics, filters out the gems, and translates English material on UXW.
What is UX writing? – Lisa Sanchez covers it from the start.
Uxplanet.org – Content hub for the UX world with many articles on UX writing, including this one.
Realbigwords.com – Crash course in UX writing with good examples.
Publicering: Byråvärlden, september 2023
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