Rules for effective UX writing for e-commerce websites
We all enter the e-commerce business with the goal of having an attractively designed website that attracts us and our customers. A well-designed online store can help you offer your customers a better experience, designed to attract even more sales and new customers.
The first things that usually come to mind when we think of e-commerce web design are templates, images, and navigation, but the text used on your site also plays an important role in the user experience. Remember, words are a powerful force that you can use to entice, persuade, and guide your customers.
User experience (UX) writing is an indispensable skill in website design, responsible for guiding the way your customers interact with your website and products. UX writing includes the subtle yet powerful messages found in menu tabs, error messages, notes, click triggers, and instructional guides.
Traditional copywriters, on the other hand, are less interested in user experience and more connected to the marketing aspect of a product, website, or app. UX writers, on the other hand, typically have nothing to do with advertising, sales, or marketing.
A UX writer is someone who writes to guide the user. In a world where apps and websites are becoming increasingly complex, it's the UX writer's job to guide users as seamlessly as possible as they interact with your website. One of the biggest hurdles a shopping website must overcome is creating a process that's as seamless and frictionless as possible, and a UX writer's job is to do just that, very subtly. If you're wondering where you can find examples of UX writing, take a look at any website, app, or even your coffee maker and try to notice how the text is designed to guide you, the user.
UX text is concise and always useful, with the intention of guiding the user towards an end goal.
Essentially, UX writing facilitates the interaction between your customer, your website, and your products. The more effective the UX copy, the better the user experience.
In this article, we'll look at the rules and examples of how to create effective and simple UX copy that will make a difference in improving your customers' user experience when they shop with you and your e-commerce site.
1) Always useful
UX writing requires thoughtful attention to user needs and expectations. This means that when writing UX copy, it's important to keep your audience and end users in mind. User needs and desires should be at the forefront of UX copywriting and should align with the goal of delving deeper into the process that leads to the end goal, whatever that may be.
2) Clear and concise
There can be no room for confusion when it comes to writing effective UX copy, which is why the copy must be concise and have the ability to communicate clearly with its users.
The goal isn't to create copy that's as short as possible; the goal is to create copy that's effective and does its job of guiding a user. This makes UX writing entirely distinct from copywriting, where a copywriter usually has more leeway in creating long blocks of text.
With UX writing, clutter is out of the question and only the necessary words and information should be included—the bare minimum for a frictionless interaction between the user, your product, and your website.
UX not concise: want to add to cart?
Concise UX: Add to Cart
3) Consistent
Maintaining consistent UX copy across your website, app, or product is crucial, as inconsistency will lead to confusion. Using consistent language also plays an important role in gaining your users' trust. If your copy is inconsistent across your website, your users may feel that your website is unreliable and unprofessional.
To build trust, make sure your tone and terminology are consistent so that the user experience is free of confusion and your site appears trustworthy to visitors.
4) Words familiar to the User
The language used on your website should be understandable to all users, regardless of their reading level or technical knowledge. For example, not everyone will understand what "buffering" means, so it might not be the best term to use for a video loading on your site.
This ties in with the first rule of clarity: don't use technical jargon in your e-commerce site's UX copy, to avoid confusing and even alienating the user. Instead, use familiar words and phrases throughout, from your home page and checkout page, to even error messages.
5) Tone and voice
As clear and concise as good UX writing is, it doesn't have to be bland and boring. UX writing takes into account the tone and voice the copy should take to embody your brand's voice and the voice that will most appeal to your customers and users.
Certain words and phrases have a certain appeal; for example, when you access the Netflix profile page, Netflix uses the words "Who's watching?" instead of something less engaging like "Select Profile." They also use the personal pronoun "My List" instead of "Your List," which gives it a personal feel.
Netflix sets a friendly, personal tone right from the start of its relationship with its users.
6) Active and present
UX writing should be active, clear, and actionable across all call-to-action buttons on your website, so it uses careful word selection. Writing in present tense is essential to keep the UX relevant and current; this is what you need to keep users engaged with your website or product. Writing UX text that uses active voice in the present tense will help make users feel more engaged and allow them to perform the actions you want them to take on your site.
7) Highlight interactive elements
Have you ever been on a website only to click on something that looked interactive but wasn't? Interactive elements on a website include drop-down menus, buttons, and elements you can click and interact with. Nothing is more frustrating than being unable to find or mistaking a design element for something else.
UX designers make interactive elements on your site identifiable and ensure they meet user expectations. This is achieved by using appropriate verbs and calls to action that make them distinguishable and easy to interact with.
8) Create seamless navigation
Ultimately, the role of a UX writer is to create microcopy that helps users navigate your e-commerce website with minimal friction. To do this, a UX writer must know and understand every step of the process to create a flow or journey for your customers.
UX writers create positive user experiences by considering every step, from the moment a user opens a website to creating an easy signup or purchase path, addressing friction or pain points.
Conclusion
As subtle as UX writing may be, it's important for creating positive and seamless user experiences. The next time you look at your website or any other e-commerce business or service, try paying more attention to the site's UX elements and note the role they play in your user experience.
Creating good and effective UX microcopy requires commitment and understanding of a brand and its target users.
Contact us
There are many benefits of UX writing that we haven't been able to fully cover in this article. However, if you'd like to learn more and discuss UX writing for your online store, feel free to contact us here at Yastime. We help entrepreneurs like you build better and more successful e-commerce and dropshipping businesses. We don't just help you build a foundation, we also help you take your online business to the next level.
