8 copywriting improvement methods to help you quickly improve user experience

The interface copy mentioned here mainly refers to the prompt copy in the interface (including SMS copy), the copy in the control, and the guiding copy of the function or operation entrance.

1. Discovery interface copy

How can people see these words? This is mainly a problem of the visual layer.

If you want to strengthen them, consider the following:

The form of the text container (e.g. modal pop-up window, floating layer, button, operation picture, prompt block, plain text, etc.), and the size of the container;

Text size, font, color, margin;

The attractiveness of surrounding pictures or graphics;

Animation effects;

On the contrary, in order to balance the elements in the interface, these aspects can also be weakened.

2. Understanding the interface copy

Ensure recognition

This is a basic requirement and everyone knows it.

However, visual designers may come up with inappropriate solutions in order to beautify the page or based on existing UI specifications. At this time, you can either communicate with the visual designer to reach a consensus, or provide convincing evidence to communicate with the other party. Don’t treat this as the job of the visual designer and compromise immediately.

Speak "human language"

The actual problems encountered can be divided into three categories:

1. The copywriting is "like code" or "feels weird"

This problem is difficult to describe in words, so I will just give an example, as shown in the figure below. You may say that it is not clearly expressed, but if you think about it carefully, it is not. It just looks awkward.

2. The copywriting is too "literary" and makes people confused

The intention was to make the copy more humane, sentimental, and poetic, but it backfired, making it impossible for people to intuitively recognize and understand its meaning.

The following picture is the notification SMS after applying for a return from Xiaomi, which belongs to this kind of problem:

Emotionalization and sentiment are high-level goals of copywriting design, but it is necessary to ensure that the main message can be conveyed and expressed appropriately.

3. The copywriting is ambiguous

That is, it is easy for people to have different understandings.

The key point of this type of problem lies in whether the ambiguous problem can be discovered.

3. Guiding Behavior

There are many factors that influence users' expected behaviors, such as placement, image quality, video effects, etc. Here we are only talking about copywriting.

At the interface copywriting level, three points are used to strengthen user behavior:

Indicate the benefits, such as discounts, preferential amounts, cash back, etc.

Add words with "actions", such as: snap up, discover, go, meet, etc.

Ask a good question that matches the person in the user's mind, such as the common question "Forgot your password?"

4. Feeling

After all, user experience is a kind of emotional cognition and experience of products and services. Therefore, it is necessary to check the interface copy based on the final experience.

Provide a sense of security and control

Try to make information symmetrical and provide more necessary information so that users have clear expectations.

For example, in the appointment reminder setting dialog box of Xiaomi’s official website, the privacy and security issues of mobile phone numbers are specifically stated.

"If you want me to do it, you have to give me a reason, any reason will do." I forgot where it was quoted from, but the specific explanation is: human beings are creatures that pursue meaning. When doing anything or accepting anything, we must give a reason to convince ourselves, even if the reason is ridiculous.

comfort

Network reasons, hardware reasons, business rules, etc. may block a user's expected behavior. Even a very rational person would feel a little frustrated and unhappy at this time. At this time, the solution at the interface design level is "comfort" and "replacing emotions with other emotions."

The main thing that can be done at the copywriting level is to change the tone to a friendlier one and "comfort" the users.

5. About SMS copywriting

The example of text messages was mentioned earlier. In fact, I personally do not specifically participate in the writing of this part of the copy in my daily work as an interaction designer. However, I think it is a page derived from the App and is as important as the pages in the App. There are also several points that need to be considered.

for example:

1. How to make the most important thing clear in the first two sentences. Because they will appear on the phone's lock screen, in the notification center, and in the summary of the text message list.

2. The consistency issue between SMS content and App content.

For example: I paid with my bank card on WeChat, but the text message told me that the payment was deducted by Tenpay. I was stunned for a moment, but I figured it out immediately. However, can ordinary users think clearly about this problem?

3. Make the content of the message clear

It's a technical job to explain complex things clearly within 140 characters

4. Application prospects of SMS

SMS is dependent on operators. In the long run, it will be eliminated and replaced by enterprises, but for now, you still have to use it.

6. "Confirmation" in modal pop-up window

In most cases, the modal pop-up windows on the iOS platform (including the ones that come with the system) still use the default "Confirm" text for the operation button. But if you think about it carefully, the context of each scenario is different. Can a "confirm" operation alone well explain the current operation? In fact, it is not difficult for us to find better words to explain the next operation. The problem here is not a question of technical difficulty, but a question of awareness and cognition.

7. Pay attention to the copywriting in 20% of the scenarios

We often say that we need to meet user needs in 80% of scenarios, and as for the remaining 20%, just handle them simply.

However, for the currently popular O2O products, there are naturally scenarios where the information flow and task flow are separated. The functions and feedback prompts in extreme scenarios determine your competitiveness compared to other products. When we sit in the office, the unimportant information we imagine may, in special circumstances, become the reason for users to curse when used offline. My opinion is that copywriting does rely on current functions, but when the functions cannot meet user needs well, then we should carefully consider the copywriting design in each situation to clearly explain the current situation, give action suggestions, and alleviate users' negative emotions.

8. Copywriting and speech system

As a product grows and becomes more powerful, many aspects cannot be fully controlled by one group of people, especially today’s Internet products, which are not just a software, but also include various online derivative functions, content and offline services. At this time, it is necessary to establish a unified copywriting and speech system to help various personnel in different links use consistent copywriting and speech libraries.