What is UX copywriting and why is it needed?
Today, User Experience (UX), which translates from English as “user experience”, is a very common phenomenon that is relevant in the development of any new product for the Internet. There are more UX specialists in design, but UX copywriting is also developing rapidly.
Specialists work in a team to create convenient sites and applications that users will return to. And, if more is known about designers, there are still few mentions of UX copywriters. Let’s figure out who this specialist is, why he is needed, and by what rules he creates content for users.
UX copywriting – what is it?
UX copywriting is currently one of the trends in the USA, which is actively popularized and used. It is based on:
Who is a UX copywriter?
So, a UX copywriter is a specialist who has a lot of knowledge not only in his field – UX copywriting, but also in related fields. In particular, a mandatory understanding of the basics of marketing and the art of sales. It is this knowledge that allows a UX copywriter to write easy-to-understand, useful and interesting text, which ultimately increases the income level of the entrepreneur.
The text created by the UX copywriter helps the user to more easily navigate the site and interact with the product that interested him. All text content is important here: inscriptions on buttons, in various forms and notifications, text about terms and conditions, instructions for the consumer.
The UX copywriter helps the user to understand as easily as possible what and in what sequence needs to be done to order a product on the resource.
What should be successful UX copywriting?
Every UX copywriter knows and uses in his work certain rules for creating UX text. Of course, there are no universal writing principles that can be applied every time, but there are general ones that you can rely on to improve the user experience on the site.
1.?Short and understandable text
It is very important that with a minimum number of words there is a maximum amount of meaning. By reading such a high-quality, well-thought-out text of a UX copywriter, the user will quickly understand the purpose of the message and take the necessary actions, without wasting time on unnecessary guesswork. The content should be as simple as possible.
For example, UX copywriting describes the actions that the user needs to take: “Find”, “Subscribe”, “Share with friends”, “Buy in one click” and more.
2. Consistency and logic of presentation of the material
As a rule, people do not read the entire text, but only intuitively scan the main theses to understand the content and find a solution to their question on the web resource. Therefore, the UX copywriter needs to divide the main text into blocks, paragraphs, make a logical visual selection of important information. It is also necessary to follow the sequence in the presentation: first the main goal and the actions to achieve it, and then additional details, which are easiest to hide under the “More” or “Read more” link.
UX copywriting is not literary masterpieces, but clearly presented information about the product for the user. For example, if a potential customer enters the site in search of wall paint, then the UX copywriter does not need to constantly search and use synonyms – it is better to focus the user’s attention on the word “paint”.
3. Share the benefits in a language the audience can understand
The longer the user stays on the site, moves through the pages, performs other targeted actions, the higher the position of the resource will be in the search results. Which in turn leads to more leads.
So, in order for the user to spend more time on your site, a UX copywriter writes short, useful and targeted target audience articles
For example, for young people aged 18-25, the text is written in the most simple, easy language, with short sentences without unnecessary turns and, perhaps, even with slang. Whereas for an audience of 30+ years, information can be presented in a more serious format, but not forgetting about a logical block design for easier perception.
4. It doesn’t hurt to be creative!
The main task of a UX copywriter is to convey important information using short messages. However, they don’t always have to be boring and “like everyone else’s”.
Important: if the meaning of the text allows, creativity is welcome. However, it is always necessary to analyze whether the target audience will understand such a creative text, and whether it will be appropriate.
For example, for a page with a 404 code that has been removed or moved, it is relevant to use humor to make the user smile and start searching the site instead of just going to competitors. Here, a UX copywriter always works in a team with a UX designer, and together they produce an interesting result.
The right approach will encourage the user to continue interacting with the web resource.
5. No exact dates
In UX texts, there are usually no exact dates, so that the potential client does not have to look at the calendar every time. Of course, if this does not apply to promotions in online stores that are limited in time.
The absence of dates creates the necessary light mood, which makes the purchase more likely. In UX copywriting, “today” and “tomorrow” are used more often.
6. The importance of A/B testing
Every new product or update needs to be tested for improvement. An experienced and interested in the growth of the UX-copywriter always collects data about the behavior of users on the site, because it helps to make UX-texts more effective and reduce the number of rejections (exits from the site).
Brand voice and tone in UX copywriting
Before starting to write texts, the UX copywriter studies the nature and features of the brand. Brand voice (from the English “Ton of Voice”) and use when writing any material for products of the same style constantly plays an important role during promotion on the Internet.
If it so happened that the marketer did not work on this issue in advance, then the UX copywriter pays attention to the main product of the company and its main functions.
Ton of Voice is closely related to character building in marketing. It is created based on the portrait of the target audience, namely, from its core. A potential client should see himself in this character: the character, manner of communication are familiar and understandable.
Let’s imagine that your watch brand is a very specific person. A young businessman who has a clear schedule of life, which includes a morning run along the embankment with rock music in headphones, a fruitful day with meetings with partners and an obligatory cup of black coffee on the desktop. How will this businessman communicate? Have slang words in the lexicon or exclusively business style of communication? And maybe he even has a favorite expression?
All this will help the UX copywriter to create a unique, interesting voice and tone of the brand, and also to become closer to the company for its target audience. Having the image of such a character, the UX copywriter understands what words and in what style to speak through texts with CA. For example, a 404 page will say: “The link does not work. Please check it and try again, or check out other watch models,” followed by several links to watch pages. In the same way, the UX copywriter will write the texts of the inscriptions on the pages that open after making a purchase, adding to the cart, subscribing to the newsletter, etc.
A skilled UX copywriter will create an invisible, strong connection between a potential customer and a brand that will help an entrepreneur sell faster and more.
Who needs UX copywriting?
UX is about creating or redesigning an existing web resource where everything is done for the user’s convenience. This is why all UX professionals involved play an equally important role. A UX copywriter thinks through every word in the same way that a designer does interface elements, and a developer does the general functionality of a site or application.
Yes, it often happens that the texts of a UX copywriter seem cut off and too dry, but behind their creation is a lot of work that takes a lot of time and effort. And most importantly, they are effective. Therefore, using UX copywriting is not just a trend, but a profitable investment in future sales.
To summarize
Today it is not so easy to find an experienced UX copywriter, but many are rapidly and successfully learning UX. With the knowledge from this article on what good UX copywriting should be, it will be much easier for you to create or adjust your resource so that you get more loyal regular customers thanks to concise and effective texts.