UX Writing And Microcopy

🔕 Design Guidelines For Better Notifications UX (https://lnkd.in/ehgF7Taa), with practical techniques on how to make notifications more useful and less annoying — with snooze mode, by exploring how and when they are triggered and measuring their use (scroll down for the newsletter ↓). 🚫 High frequency of notifications is a very frequent complaint. ✅ Not all notifications are equal: some are more useful than others. ✅ Users value updates from close contacts, transactions, insights. 🤔 Users ignore automated, irrelevant, promotional notifications. ✅ Sending fewer messages can improve long-term product use. ✅ Let users choose notification modes (silent, regular, power). ✅ Suggest switching from push notification to email digests. ✅ Let users snooze, pause, mute if high volume is expected. ✅ Track how often notifications are ignored and acted upon. 🚫 Avoid disruption and notification fatigue by sending less. And most importantly: scrutinize the decision tree to find the right timing to send the right types of notifications. Experiment with wording, timing, grouping and frequency for different user segments. And when in doubt, postpone, rather than sending through. --- 👋🏼 I'm Vitaly Friedman, and you can find useful UX resources on my profile. I’m also running “Smart Interface Design Patterns” 🍣 (https://lnkd.in/d4CNaTxR) with a friendly video library and live UX training. 😊 #ux #design #notifications

UX tip that feels like cheating — but isn’t: Give every form field a purpose-based label. Not just a name. Instead of: - Name: - Email: - Phone: Try: - What should we call you? - Where can we reach you with updates? - Want us to text you if there's a delay? Why it works: - Feels more personal - Builds trust - Reduces friction by clarifying why you’re asking - Increases conversions — yes, even subtly. 📌 Users don’t just need clarity — they need context. We often obsess over UI polish — colors, spacing, shadows... But a single line of microcopy can do more for the experience than all the gradients in the world. Great design isn’t louder. It’s clearer. Have you tested purpose-driven labels in your forms or UIs? Would love to know what worked (or flopped) for you 👀👇 #uxdesign #uxtips #microcopy #productdesign #conversionoptimization #formdesign #designthinking #userexperience

Microcopy matters more than you think Three words changed. Conversions jumped 17%. No design touched. I’ve seen this happen again and again in 10+ years of design. The smallest text can create the biggest impact. Example: Google They changed one button from “Book a room” → “Check availability.” Engagement shot up. Why? “Book a room” felt like a commitment. “Check availability” felt safe and curious. Same feature. Different promise. This is the hidden power of microcopy. • Users don’t just see buttons. They see choices. • They don’t just read forms. They feel friction. • They don’t just click. They follow promises. Design isn’t only about screens. It’s about emotions. It’s about making people feel safe, confident, and understood. What’s the most powerful microcopy change you’ve seen in a product? PS: I collect examples of small copy tweaks that transform metrics. Follow me for more insights from my work with top startups.

3 main ways to turn information chaos into clarity in customer experience through user experience. First, Simplify language and content - Use clear, concise language that avoids jargon and technical terms. - Break down complex information into smaller, bite-sized chunks. Turbotax.pk simplified their tax preparation process by using plain language and breaking down complex tax forms into manageable sections. Second, Organize information intuitively - Use clear headings, labels, and categorization to help users find what they need. - Use visual hierarchy and white space to reduce clutter and improve readability. Amazon organizes their product pages with clear headings, images, and reviews, making it easy for customers to find what they need. last, Provide contextual guidance and feedback - Use tooltips, hover text, and other interactive elements to provide contextual guidance. - Offer timely feedback and confirmation messages to reassure users. Dropbox provides contextual guidance through tooltips and hover text, helping users understand how to use their features and functions. with the help of this , organizations can turn information chaos into clarity, creating a more intuitive and user-friendly customer experience. #cx #ux #ccxp #cxpa #userexperience #uxui #contextual #ui #userinterface #businessgoals #businessgrowth #empathy #userresearch #information

Stop explaining your UX work like you’re writing a textbook. Too many juniors fall into the “jargon trap” ❌ “I conducted heuristic evaluations to identify usability violations in the IA…” Nobody outside design knows what that means. Here’s the fix. Make your work sound clear, not complicated. Example: ✅ “I noticed users had trouble finding key pages, so I reorganized the menu to make the most important items easier to spot.” See the difference? Next time you explain your work (in an interview, portfolio, or even networking): 1️⃣ Say what you did in plain English, no buzzwords 2️⃣ Connect it to the user’s experience, what problem were you solving? 3️⃣ Tie it back to impact, why did it matter? Quick exercise: Take one section of your portfolio and rewrite it like you’re explaining it to a non-designer friend.  If they get it instantly, you nailed it. Clear > Clever. Every. Time.

Users don't suck, but the information provided to them can. If your IFU reads like a legal contract, people won’t read it. Why? Because they’re confusing. Too wordy. Too complex. Too scattered. A great IFU should feel like having a clear-headed expert guiding you step by step. The user needs to know what to do, how to do it, and when to do it. Here's 20 recommendations/writing rules to improve your IFU↴ 1. Write procedures in short, identifiable steps, and in the correct order. 2. Before listing steps, tell the reader how many steps are in the procedure. 3. Limit each step to no more than three logically connected actions. 4. Make instructions for each action clear and definite. 5. Tell the user what to expect from an action. 6. Discuss common use errors and provide information to prevent and correct them. 7. Each step should fit on one page. 8. Avoid referring the user to another place in the manual (no cross-referencing). 9. Use as few words as possible to present an idea or describe an action. 10. Use no more than one clause in a sentence. 11. Write in a natural, conversational way. Avoid overly formal language. 12. Express ideas of similar content in similar form. 13. Users should be able to read instructions aloud easily. Avoid unnecessary parentheses. 14. Use the same term consistently for devices and their parts. 15. Use specific terms instead of vague descriptions. 16. Use active verbs rather than passive voice. 17. Use action verbs instead of nouns formed from verbs. 18. Avoid abbreviations or acronyms unless necessary. Define them when first used and stay consistent. 19. Use lay language instead of technical jargon, especially for medical devices intended for laypersons. 20. Define technical terms the first time they appear and keep definitions simple. Prioritize the user while ensuring MDR/IVDR compliance.

A small shift in copy means a BIG shift in earnings. 3 months ago, we wrote a landing page promoting our workshop recordings. We wanted fast cash, so the 19-page store was up & running in 3 days. Sold ok-ish, but there was room for improvement. So I decided to play around, and made the following tweaks: 1️⃣ Pricing. - Confused man takes no action so I standardised the pricing. (Every workshop = same price) - I removed the pennies from prices, making them appear smaller. ("$123.00" looks bigger than "$123") - Told the reader how much they'll save on the original price. ↓ 2️⃣ "Who it's for" Copy. Here I used the following formulas: - This is for you if you want [ideal outcome]. - You achieved [thing]. But you're stuck [here]. - You figured [thing] out. But you don't know how to do [next step]. ↓ 3️⃣ Call-To-Action. Previous Call-To-Action was "I WANT THIS." Elegant & customer-centric, but not a top performer in the e-commerce world. So I followed what the stats say, and changed it to "BUY NOW!" — making sure I also add the exclamation point, as it's proven to increase conversions up to 33%. ↓ 4️⃣ Verbs of Accomplishment. For every piece of micro-copy, I used verbs of accomplishment like the one on the image below. Not sure which to use? "Build", "grab", "implement" all work well. Can't go wrong with these. ↓ 5️⃣ Bonuses. All Workshop recordings come with a 30-minute pre-recorded Q&A session, but we didn't emphasize it. And every ounce of value you fail to sell to the reader means a sale lost. So I added the 30-min Q&A to a separate "Bonus" section, and wrote how much each was worth. Final result? Sold twice as much. To be precise: - 1st time we sold 3x "All Workshops" & 0 individual ones.  - 2nd time we sold 4x "All Workshops" and 16x individual ones. - Total earnings: $2,991 vs. $5,956. The proof is in the profits — Copy will make or break your sales.

"Let's make this shorter" has become the golden rule for SaaS copy. But some of the recent conversion tests coming out of Cognism and CloudTalk tell a completely different story. And the data should change how you look at conversion copywriting: We've all heard the advice to keep your writing clear and concise. And that advice seems like it makes perfect sense in a world where the average attention span is shrinking to 8.25 seconds – or even less. But there's a hidden challenge with ultra-concise copy. People pay attention to things that they find interesting. And if you don't give yourself space to say something your audience cares about, it's pretty hard to grab their attention. That's the idea Verche Karafiloska put to the test at CloudTalk. CloudTalk put up an ultra-detailed hero section that went deep on their features and benefits against a shorter, more concise variation. The result: a +165% conversion lift for the longer more detailed version – and an 80% increase in demos from their ideal-fit ICPs. And that's backed by a +40% conversion lift in a similar test Verche did earlier at Cognism. It's a great example of a situation where "best practices" don't actually turn out to deliver the best results in the real world. So what can we learn from this? ✅ Your audience wants substance. When you give readers detailed, meaningful information that answers their questions, they're more likely keep reading down the page – and ultimately convert. ✅ Longer copy is worth testing. Don't just assume shorter is always better. Longer, more detailed copy can dramatically outperform shorter versions when it's relevant to your ICP. ✅ Make your copy tight, not short. Instead of trying to keep your copy short, focus on making sure that every word delivers value and maintains reader interest. In 2025, buyers are hungry for real, substantial information about your product. They're looking for meaningful information that helps them make buying decisions. The goal isn't necessarily shorter copy. It's copy that's actually worth reading.

49% of checkouts don't tell you why they are asking for a phone number. That means a lot of potential customers dropping out of the funnel cos they are afraid of getting spammed by your sales team (or someone you sell the data onto). At Zuko Analytics we consistently see that adding a small bit of microcopy explaining what you will do (and will not do) with the phone number can reduce abandonment on the phone field significantly. It's an easy potential win so, if you're not doing it, consider adding it to your testing / optimization roadmap. Source of the stat is Baymard Institute 👉 https://lnkd.in/efWMxpGC For more on how to use microcopy effectively 👉 https://lnkd.in/g-etUtx

For a long time, I resisted boiling my guidance on interface writing down to a set of “principles”, because context matters so much, and design principles are often misunderstood and misapplied. But then I started teaching a UX writing course, and, well, I needed a set of principles. I found that many lists of UX writing principles focus on qualities of the writing itself, such as concision, friendliness, or formality. Those types of things tend to exist on a spectrum, and are informed by context, so I don’t find it valuable to provide overarching guidance about them. Instead, I've tried to create a list that's more about how to approach your work as an interface writer. As I'm fond of saying, best practices are a last resort. The meta principle not articulated in this list is that you should always apply your best judgment as a professional craftsperson. But anyway, here’s what I’ll be sharing in class later today: I. Prioritize Usability Your words should help users accomplish what they are there to accomplish. II. Work, and Write, Incrementally Follow the ‘Rule of One’. One task per screen. One idea per headline or paragraph. One action that a button performs. One setting that a checkbox controls. III. Prefer Consistent Terminology When you choose words for buttons, menus, and controls, you are, in a way, naming them. Names should stay the same throughout the experience. For instance, ‘Settings’ should always be ‘Settings’, and not also ‘Preferences’. (This is a good rule to break, however, if using the exact same term would be confusing in a specific instance.) IV. Be Specific Using specific words for paths and actions builds trust with your users. For instance: Clone, Copy, Duplicate, and Make a Copy are related, but not perfect synonyms. Using the most specific word possible for an action helps you avoid conflicts with other terms. V. Rely on Patterns Unlike most writing, it’s okay to repeat yourself in interface copy.  In the same way that a design system has visual and layout patterns for common components, your writing can and should use similar patterns for similar actions and activities. -- There’s more to it than that, of course, but those will get you pretty far.