When you first view an app or website, the microcopy may provide you a lot of information about the site’s goal, how it can benefit you, and how ypu can interact with it. Despite this, many web designers create excellent websites but fail to produce effective microcopy.
The term “microcopy” refers to the little chunks of text that direct your readers to their objective, teach them, and ease their fears. All information bits we convey to consumers are included in microcopy.
A search bar, for example, may have text that explains how to use the search bar or what information you may seek for. It eases users’ fears about what information they’ll find when they utilize the search box.
As a result, it’s an important aspect of the user experience (UX) to assist users to immediately understand the goal of each individual element as well as the entire site. Microcopy that is effective speeds up the learning process for the user.
Pay Attention to the Order of Microcopy Elements
When making microcopy, the arrangement of the components is important. A user will most likely read content from left to right, starting at the top and working their way down. As a result, organize information from top to bottom and from left to right in order of priority. Avoid putting information that a user needs below a specific element if that information is required to finish the last element.
As a rule of thumb, you can stick to the following order to comply with the top-down, left-to-right order:
- Label
- Instruction or hint
- Input field
Instead of passive voice, use active voice.
Using active voice rather than passive speech is one of the most popular techniques for creating more effective microcopy. Most importantly, adopting active voice gives your message more strength and is easier to grasp for consumers than passive sentences. You place the subject first and inform the user what happened by utilizing an active voice.
Maintain a Consistent Tone
The way you communicate and approach your user is referred to as tone. There are several options for the tone of voice in your writing. Your message might be enthusiastic, straightforward, pleasant, or apologize. It reflects your company’s mindset. It’s critical to keep your microcopy messaging in the same tone. This level of uniformity aids consumers in quickly learning your interface and learning about your company’s beliefs.
Transparency is key, so include meta data.
Users are increasingly aware of their data and who has access to it these days. As a result, inform the user what will happen when you wish to save their data, sign them up for a subscription, or direct them to a purchase page. This sort of information is referred to as “meta-information.” Transparency not only builds trust, but it also reveals something about your company’s beliefs. When people consider a brand to be honest and open, it’s a plus.
Use the [Slogan-]Info-Action Format for your [Slogan-]Info-Action
For a call to action, copywriters frequently utilize the “info-action” format (CTA). Add extra information that explains why people should join up for your trial instead of a button that reads “Start your trial.”
Simplicity Is Key!
A word of advice to all microcopy writers: keep it simple. Less is more, as any web designer knows. This guideline should be applied to your microcopy approach. Users may get perplexed as a result of excessive communication.
We’ve spoken about how to use meta-information to increase transparency, how to improve microcopy by paying attention to the order of web components, and how to use a consistent voice to reflect your brand’s values.