How to successfully use UX writing & microcopy
Part 2: See what short text can do for your website!
Invite people who are interested in your product!
Use the title to speak to people in a friendly and direct manner. Use inviting phrases, for example, “Nice to meet you” instead of “Create new user”. It’s also a nice idea to include humour in your short text, for instance in your error messages and 404 pages.
“Oh, this didn’t turn out quite the way we expected! While we find some fresh content for this page, why not have a look at our magazine?”
Now that sounds a lot nicer than your standard 404 error message, doesn’t it?
Important: This doesn’t mean that you should substitute terms like “registration”, “career” or “shopping basket” in your navigation or on your home page. Users expect to find these terms and tend to be confused if they’re not there.
Present the benefits!
Use short sentences or bullet points to describe the benefits users get by performing a certain action. For example, this could be …
- … a simplified purchasing process after creating an account.
- … exclusive offers after signing up for your newsletter.
- … useful information after downloading a whitepaper.
Dispel doubts!
Remember that your users might have doubts before or during a certain action. This causes many of them to abort the process and look for similar offers elsewhere. For instance, your users may have doubts concerning hidden costs, complicated forms or personal data.
And make sure to keep your promise – because your users are sure to remember it!
Sign up, log in and reset password
Signing up for something takes time – time that many users don’t have. That’s why you have to convince them of the benefits of registration – in a precise, friendly and direct way.
There are four ways of including microtext in a (registration) form. We’ll tell you all about which one to use when in the third part of our blog series (our whitepaper) on UX writing and microcopy.
If you have successfully convinced your users to register for your service, it’s all about trying to retain them. Make them feel welcome the next time they log into your website or app. Don’t treat them like anonymous users – rather welcome them as regulars. Creating personas can help you to do that.
It’s frustrating if a log-in fails. That’s why you should keep your text short and make it as easy as possible for users to reset their password. For instance, how about “Forgot your password? No problem, we’ll send you a link to set up a new one.” Or “Congratulations, the link to your new password is on the way to your inbox!”. Both are simple yet personal ways of telling your users what to do.
Newsletter registration
It can be a bit tricky to convince people to sign up for a newsletter. The exact time the newsletter pop-up appears is just as important as the way it is phrased. To motivate your website users to sign up for your newsletter, you have to offer them some kind of added value – which you should explain in a short text with bullet points.
Important: Remember to dispel your users’ doubts about getting spammed. Tell them how often they will be receiving your newsletter!
The power of buttons
Have you experienced the following? You read a great piece of content, and then the button at the end keeps you from completing the desired action. Why is that? Because for users, a button means “work”. For instance, “Sign up now!” translates to your users as “Oh no, I’ll have to complete a complicated registration form” (see example #1).
See your buttons as the last nudge in the right direction! They motivate users to complete the process. That’s why you should remind them of the benefits they get.
Time to get in touch!
A vital objective of any website should be to reach potential customers and to encourage them to get in touch. That’s why the contact form is an integral part of your website. If your users have made it as far as this form, it only takes one last nudge.
And it should be more than just a simple “Contact us” together with a standard contact form! The three basic rules also apply here: Directly address your users and describe the benefits of getting in touch. Assure them that you will take their message seriously and will respond as soon as possible. Encourage them to contact you – just like you would by handing them your business card.