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What is UX Copy?
UX stands for ‘User Experience’, a term that marketers or developers throw around while everybody else nods pretentiously. Time to break past the jargon.
UX copy (also called micro copy) is the short text on menus, buttons, footers, payment pages, and other interactive tools. While it may seem obscure, UX copy plays a crucial role in helping users navigate through your digital channels and complete desired actions.
From sales platforms, messaging apps, and even video games — UX copy turns complicated algorithms into simple tools that drive engagement and boost action. Without it, your most profitable touchpoints can drive user away and cost you invaluable screen time.
While web developers treat user experience as their domain (quite literally), most of the craft comes down smart and articulate copywriting. Even the most handy apps or digital tools won't much love if users don't know how they work or have to play makeshift developer to figure out how to get the most out of them. UX copywriters work hard to turn thousands of lines of code into simple instructions that streamline the digital experience for users.
The challenge to good UX copy is understanding exactly which works convey the most meaning to your readers. With only a limited amount of space to work with, your UX needs to be as detailed as possible with minimal words, prose, or punctuation. Whether it's placeholder text, chat-bot scripts, or simple error messages, micro copy is the quiet but powerful achiever that makes your digital channels come alive for customers.
How important is UX?
Imagine setting up a website, paying for traffic, patiently nurturing those leads and then finally convincing them to buy your product — only to miss out because your payment form is confusing or unintuitive. That's just one of countless ways a poor UX can hinder your marketing efforts and undo months (and countless dollars) of careful planning.
Think of the last time you used a confusing website or app. How long did you stick around before giving up (or checking Twitter?)The reality of our hyper-digital age is that users have the luxury of choice when it comes to how they spend their screen time. If your brand's website or app can't provide a smooth user experience, another one will.
That's where micro copy fits in nicely with the rest of your digital strategy. Strong micro copy can:
raise user engagement
increase form or survey responses
lower cart abandonment
improve your NPS
cut out troubleshooting or help requests.
While there's a science to writing strong UX copy, you don't need a lab coat and glasses to spot the more obvious issues that might be plaguing your digital channels. The next section will help you get started on improving micro copy in-house.
How to improve your UX copy
Most of the challenge to improving UX is knowing where to look. In severe cases, problems can be hidden behind a specific combination of user decisions that weren't accounted for by your developers. Google Analytics is your friend for this one, although you can use any other performance tracking software to similar effect.
Filtering URLs by exit rate or bounces will help you narrow down the source of the problem. Pages with lots of user drop-offs usually indicate a consistent problem with the way your system behaves, eg. crashing or force-closing pages due to technical errors.
You can also rank URLs by time-on-page, which shows you where users are spending most of their time. Time-on-page can a double-edged sword in some cases; it can either mean users are enjoying your website or struggling to find what they're looking for. This means you'll need to cross-reference your time-on-page metrics with industry averages while also taking into account the type of page (landing page, payment form, blog article etc)
Once you’ve flagged every suspicious or under-performing URL, it’s time to review the micro copy on each one. Common issues to look for include:
broken text or HTML glitches
spelling errors
redundant instructions like ‘please wait’ or ‘click here’
micro-copy misaligned with your brand’s Tone of Voice
format errors (ie. text not fitting in dedicated boxes or fields)
too many words in certain fields, causing bloated unsightly text
weak or uninspiring verbs in your CTA ('Place Order' or 'Ship My Goods' is way more compelling than 'Continue' or 'Submit').
S
tip
:
Call-to-Action buttons should contain exactly two to four words. Anything less is too vague while anything more can be obstructive.
For longer CTAs, consider using standard body text with hyperlinks.
Confused?
So are your users. Reach out for some help.
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