How do we use words well in a microcopy? Words have the power to eliminate ambiguity and provide almost 95% of the communicative information a user needs. Remove them, and it negatively impacts the UX. For this reason, UX and microcopy are firmly interrelated, and rightfully so. Without microcopy, design has no use! Even the most elegant design fails to impress when the microcopy is executed poorly.
But, what exactly is microcopy? How does it work? In simpler terms, microcopy can be defined as a tiny group of words or copies of digital products. These small words or phrases make the digital product usable because, without it, users may find it very difficult to understand the interfaces on apps, websites, etc. Therefore, microcopy is central to UX as it plays an important role in building effective communication between users and their products.
With so much at stake, how can we improve microcopy writing skills? What are the best practices associated with writing microcopy that may essentially improve User Experience? How can you write like a pro and do some upskilling in UX writing? This blog will outline all these details and much more and provide you with some best practices to help you produce the most impactful copy for your digital products.
Guidelines to Writing Efficient Microcopy
We have already established that a good microcopy strengthens the UX and improves it considerably. However, being able to produce quality copy is no easy feat. Most UX writers in UI/UX agencies struggle with creating that perfect copy that facilitates user flow. They put a lot of thought into how each word contributes to easy navigation and thus a great user experience.
Let’s take a look at some of the ways UX writers make this happen:
- Write single short phrases: Too many words spoils microcopy and is a common folly of many digital products. We may want users to understand our products inside and out, however writing dense paragraphs is not the way to achieve it. User attention is pure gold, and they won’t waste it by reading complex texts. The solution? Single. Short. Sentences. Period.
- Avoid using complex language: More often than not, we forget the importance of simple and straightforward language and rely on complicated jargon to promote our UI. The issue is that users are least interested in domain knowledge and technical details. Their needs are way more unique and personal, and a company’s nomenclature does not interest them even a bit.
- Define your brand’s voice and tone: A good microcopy speaks to its users and establishes effective communication. Therefore your brand/product must have a voice and tone that speaks to your target audience. Depending on how you define your product’s voice, you may choose to be funny, smart, friendly, and even to the -point.
- Keep it clear, concise, and helpful: Once you decide on your voice and tone, ensure that your microcopy speaks your audience’s language! Please keep it simple, clear, casual, and easy to understand. This way, your microcopy is useful as well. Prioritize clarity, and you are already halfway to successful UX writing.
- Create copy in an F-pattern: The quality of your microcopy can be enhanced if you follow the ‘F-pattern.’ This means you cab strategically arrange your content so that copy is displayed according to reading priority; most users read follow an F-pattern.
- Label your CTAs (Call To Action buttons): The copy with these buttons may seem insignificant at first, but it can negatively affect your conversion rates when done wrong. That will be a heavy price to pay for a completely avoidable mistake!
- Employ Inquiry-based commands: You may experience many positive differences when you change commands into questions. For example, “Who’s watching?” is much more efficient than “Please choose an account.”
- Set a consistent language: When labeling CTA buttons, make sure you consistently name them across the pages/screens. This holds true especially for SaaS websites because users rely on copy to interact with the product and guide them through the whole process.
- Know when to use disclosure: A good UX copywriter will always know how to display the relevant content first and break info into chunks. This will limit clutter and facilitate successful product onboarding and retention.
These are the most productive tips for producing quality copy that may improve user experience. It is safe to say that any microcopy may not necessarily be a good microcopy; it doesn’t magically shoot from our fingertips! For this reason, a good UI/UX design company always hires the best UX writers to do this very important job. Remember, a good design is worth nothing without a good microcopy!
