How I Write Engaging UX Copy

Your website is your online store. It’s where online browsers become buyers. And while its main objective is to generate sales-driven revenue, it certainly shouldn’t be ‘salesy’.

With branding, positioning and promotions making sales, your website should almost solely exist to simplify the process. How it’s formatted and written can make or break your investment.

Here’s how I write high-performance UX copy for apps and websites.

Understanding The Ideal Customer

The first and most important thing a copywriter should know is their customer(s). That means understanding my clients’ market, and where they fit within it. More times than not, this comes down to identifying their unique value proposition.

Your unique value proposition is your specialty within your offer. It’s what causes your customers to gravitate towards you, rather than a competitor. This should tie into your brand’s personality and tone of voice.

By understanding why a customer would wholeheartedly choose my client over a similar competitor, I learn something about them. We all have preferences and prioritize different things – could be quality, price, convenience, etc. When you know (and have) what your audience wants, you can start leaning into it.

Assigning Purpose By Page

Whether it’s for a mobile app or website, one thing is universal: every section of every page should have a defined purpose. Together and individually, they should exist to provide useful information, proactively answer questions and seamlessly guide the customer towards their next step(s).

Not only does purpose-driven formatting improve UX, it also streamlines the writing process. It’s so common for writers to cram excess information, which should either be used elsewhere, or omitted entirely.

Most importantly, writing with purpose helps to create a cohesive roadmap for a website or app as a whole. It takes all the important information you want your would-be customer to know and organizes it in the most digestible way possible. The result creates a convenient shopping experience for the customer, which maximizes their likelihood of converting.

Prioritizing Clarity Over Cleverness

Think about how impatient we are with our phones. How accustomed we are to getting what we want, when we want it. Literally within seconds, or less.

That’s why I prioritize simplicity when writing UX copy. Getting too cute can easily confuse – and lose a potential would-be sale.

Now, it’s one thing to lean into your brand a bit, so long as it doesn’t fog-up your core message. But remember this: they’re on your site for a reason.?

They either clicked an ad, saw you on social media, found you on the SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages) – whatever. Something brought them to your site and it’s the UX copywriter’s? job to make completing a purchase as simple and on-brand as possible.

Utilizing Charm

How something is said can be as effective as what’s being said. That’s why tonality always goes hand-and-hand with what I’m writing for. The right tone enhances the brand experience, and when done right, increases brand loyalty.

But beyond simple word choice is charm. So I focus on the positive aspects of what we’re offering. I write to paint a picture in the customers’ heads – to get them to envision benefiting from the offer. Strong copy is the gateway between their problem and our solution.

So I write to charm and compliment the customer, making them feel welcomed, whenever possible. Shopping, whether in-person or online should be seen as an experience, especially if your product or service isn’t the cheapest on the market.

Your customers’ comfort is more important than you probably realize.

Saying Less

Charm has to do with choosing words that connect, but brevity deals with being concise. Saying more with less is an invaluable skill because it appeals to impatient readers. This is especially important for inbound traffic that just scans – notably first-time visitors that clicked an ad.

So, be clear. Quality UX copy gets the point across quickly in a way that’s inviting, but doesn’t drag on. I make it a point to rigorously edit-down copy so I can convey the same point in as few words as possible.

Going With The Flow

As I’ve said a few times now, shopping is an experience. The quality of said experience directly reflects on your brand and what you have to offer.

Assuming everything is clear, to-the-point, charming and with purpose – the next step is to make it flow. That means using sleek transitions that effortlessly guide the eye from one section to the next. It creates a visually-pleasing look that invites you in for more.

I often joke about getting long, block-like text messages. They’re intimidating to look at. The same goes for copy.

Concise, broken-up copy that flows can easily fit that once intimidating block of copy in a way that’s not just digestible, but inviting.

Section placement is crucial for flow because it sets up more graceful transitions. So I always plan for flow ahead of time. From there, it’s all about easing your copy out and naturally transitioning sentences that connect the ideas in ways that make sense. This doesn’t only curb awkward writing, it can also make for a more interesting read.

The Final Scan

Here, I go through the copy as if I were a customer. I start by scanning and seeing what catches my eye. If the results weren’t as planned, I’ll adjust accordingly.

Once the copy passes the scan test, I then read (out loud) more thoroughly. In addition to combing through the copy for errors, I also make it a point to question myself at every turn. Whether it be headline selections, word choice, transitions and everything in between – I’m looking to tighten-up whenever I can. Once I’m happy, the copy is sent for approval.