We all know the fact that good writing is hard to come by. In fact, when discussing about UX writing, it takes years of practice to master the flow of ideas into a narrative that is equally informative and entertaining.
Nevertheless, as individuals living in the current era, we go through all sorts of written material on a daily basis, including heap loads of ads, marketing materials, social media posts, news updates, blogs, billboards, and whatnot. However, in order to truly make UX writing appealing, the user experience matters a lot.
What is UX Writing?
UX Writing is the process of developing and communicating a product or service’s user-centered experience through written materials. As a member of the UX community, you will gain insight into the ways of creating a great user experience and will learn more about the basics of UX writing.
UX Writer Meaning
A UX Writer is someone who writes about user experience (UX), usually the interaction between users and products or services. A UX writer may also refer to a person who creates a user experience. This includes things like usability, human-computer interaction, graphic design, user research, content, strategy, and more.
Find more: UX Design vs Product Design: The Quick Comparison
A UX writer’s job is to make sure that the website is both visually appealing and usable. The writer focuses on the functionality and usability of a site rather than on what makes it look good.
According to a recent study by Small Biz Genius, 88% of online shoppers would never come abck to the site after having a bad user experience. Moreover, 75% of people form their judgment based on a website’s credibility purely on its aesthetics and 44% of shoppers sharing their bad online experiences with their friends.
Furthermore, better UI can raise your website’s conversion rate by 200%. Whereas better UX design increases conversion rates to 400%. Plus, 70% of online businesses fail due to bad usability.
In light of this information, let’s take a quick look at some of the ways and examples that can improve writing for a good user experience.
What Are the Ways to Improve Good UX Writing?
Active Voice In UX Writing
Perhaps one of the best reasons to use active voice in writing is because it uses a clear subject + verb + object construct that is easy to read.
Active voice is also a great method of making your written work stronger as it allows the reader to become a part of the narrative quickly. When you write in an active voice, readers are able to visualize the moment and live it more vividly.
Read more: How To Improve UI/UX Design Of Your eCommerce Website For More Conversions?
Due to its direct mannerism, active voice is also able to generate a stronger connection to the action. Hence, if you are going to use a CTA (call to action), it will provide more command. Lastly, active voice is also easy to comprehend for those to whom English is a second language.
Example: There are numerous brands that use active voice in their marketing materials and advertisements, including the likes of Coca-Cola, Nike, Adidas, McDonald’s, etc. However, for the perfect example, visit the Starbucks’ website. Just scroll through the homepage, and you will find how they use active voice to keep the reader in the present and happening that is now!
Copy Consistency
Consistency in copywriting requires on your behalf to be conscious of what comments or views you put out there in public. Your entire work for a project or brand must remain consistent with what was mentioned before. You carry that general notion of positivity into your future work. Hence you cannot simply change your message overnight.
So, for example, if you stand with the LGBTQ community, for instance, then you simply cannot start dishing homophobic posts the next week or after. Brands and business need consistency in their copies as it further cements their beliefs and dogmas into the minds of their targeted audiences and customers.
Example: Nike is a fine example when it comes to brand consistency and the type of copy they produce. Their slogan ‘Just Do It’ is universally recognizable, and Nike has used this line for the past 15 years.
Dodging Jargons & Clichés
Both clichés and colloquialisms (localized jargons) can plague your writing and make it highly unbearable for your audiences. Hence, as a copywriter, your duty is to make sure that your readers get the idea clearly when you communicate with words, and there are no hurdles or barriers for them to overcome.
Using clichés or jargons limit the understanding of your work to only those people who understand not only the meaning of the cliché but also in what context you are using it.
This overtly complicates things, and you can end up annoying a lot and the majority of your audiences. Hence the best practice is to stay clear of unwanted jargons and clichés within your copy.
Example: Take Mercedes-Benz, for example. Their entire strategy is centered on the comfort, luxury, and safety of their amazing vehicles. Using clichés and jargon in their marketable copy would only leave a bad impression as they embody new and nuanced ideas.
Hence they have to carry that bleeding edge image of their brand, and using jargons or clichés would make them look old and commonplace. This is going against their intention of creating a distinct image for themselves.
Exact Choice of Words In UX Writing
The choice of words carries a lot of worth. You can deliver a completely different meaning and profound feeling for your audiences. Words first and foremost are through which you express yourself as a writer. This is exactly why taking your time to get the right message across is crucial.
You don’t want people getting the wrong idea. In fact, in your mind, the notion that you have should be transferred to your readers without any variations in its interpretation.
This is why using precise words and delivering concise meaning can make your copy all the more impactful and meaningful for your audiences. This is why young learners who seek personal statement help judge writers for their choice of words, as it can determine just how powerful the end result can be for them to strive for a brighter future ahead.
Example: Take any of the taglines used by renowned brands that have reached an iconic status over the years. They know their audience and know exactly the message they want to convey to them. For instance, MasterCard uses the tagline “There are some things money can’t buy. For everything else, there’s MasterCard”.
Graphics for Extra Oomph
Giving your text more meaning and making it look more attractive can be accomplished by using a visual aid to the best of your ability.
Make sure that when you choose graphics, images, or even a video to compliment your text, it should be directly relatable and relevant.
You want the visual aid to carry and support the context of your text. That way, both can work together to give powerful all-around meaning to the message you want to convey.
Example: Every advertisement that features an iPhone or Samsung’s smartphone as the main product, plus you can also take into account the web copies of their latest products. You will find terrific use of visual graphics, high-resolution images, and fluid animations.
The White-Spaces In UX Writing
White space in your web copies matters a lot. Because even if you have affluent information to share, it allows you to break them down into smaller chunks. This can make them more digestible for your readers.
White space also helps the reader to differentiate and distinguish various areas on your web pages. Without the proper use of white space, your web copies would feel jumbled and give your viewers a headache.
Example: The blog “Brand New” by the company “Under Construction” offers a wealth of information while using white space adequately so that you never feel overwhelmed. So instead of wondering how soon you can leave, you are more likely to think, “Yippee, it seems as I can start from anywhere, I choose”.
Conclusion
Writing web copies or content for digital platforms like crowdwriter is both an art form and complete science. There are numerous other suggestions that I would have liked to include; however, since the focus is on creating great UX writing, I certainly feel the aforementioned tips will help you greatly.
Keep in mind though, that there is always room for improvement, and creating powerful and impactful copy for brands and businesses requires your complete dedication and commitment. That’s it for now. Cheers and all the best for your future endeavors!
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