Illustration by Maria Shukshina from Ouch!
Most UX Design contains elements of copywriting. So, it behoves a designer to learn and have some knowledge of copywriting and use it to their advantage. Here are several ways in which having some copywriting knowledge when you are designer is good idea.
The downsides to good design but bad copywriting.
If you want customers to do more than just visit your website then you need to invest in having good quality content, or your potential customers will not buy anything from your website. “When you have poorly written content, no one will be interested in what you are selling,” says Lawrence Hopkins, a content writer at OriginWritings and Writemyx.
Not only that the likelihood of you even realising that you have bad copywriting is exceedingly small. According to research, only 4% of your customers will give you any feedback on their overall experience, 96% will never voice their concerns at all, and 91% will just leave. So, it’s crucial to have amazing, quality copywriting in your design.
Ways To Incorporate Good Copywriting Into Your Designs.
There are a few good tips to bear in mind when using copy in your designs. Good copy will turn visitors to your website into buyers of your products and/or loyal subscribers, which is essential for your business. Below are a few things to keep in mind.
Know your target audience.
When you design your website, you use design elements with the customer in mind. Well, your copywriting elements should also have a target audience in mind. A good copywriter knows who their target audience is and writes engaging copy that catches their attention. “When you try to communicate through copy to your customers there is no opportunity for your customers to ask follow-up questions, so you need to be clear. This is also true with a website design. Using both together with a good clear target audience will help turn visitors into buyers,” says Katherine Merston, a tech blogger at 1day2write and Britstudent.
All visitors are potential buyers.
A copywriter writes their copy with the above in mind. If they are helping someone start a blog, for example, they don’t write because they need another blog post up on the website. They write so they can sell something to their subscribers or get them to take an action. As a designer, you need to incorporate this mentality not only in your design elements but in your copy for your website as well. Make sure your text speaks directly to them.
Make your copy personal.
A good copywriter has perfected the art of creating copy that feels personal. While you are trying to attract many buyers and subscribers to your website, making your writing feel like it speaks to an individual makes them feel welcome and entices them to buy your product or subscribe to your website or service. The most effective copy includes use of the word ‘you’.
As a UX designer, adopting this personal style of writing will benefit you and your bottom line. Research shows that 70% of buying experiences are based on how the customer feels they are being treated. It pays to write your design copy with a personal touch.
Communicate the Why as well as the what.
While it’s important to include what you are selling and the logistics of getting to your customers, it’s vital to share the why behind what you are promoting and selling. A copywriter knows the why is the bit that gets you customers, rather than the what.
Most UX designers focus way too much on the what and forget the importance of the why. Your customers aren’t interested in your cool subscribe button, they want to know why it benefits them to click and sign up for your company’s emails. Bear this in mind when writing your copy.
UX designers can make use of several key copywriting skills. In having good copy, you can help boost your organisation’s sales, increase subscribers, and keep customers coming back.
