Understanding Microcopy: The Power of Words
Many designers and marketers think microcopy is all about making things catchy and clever. Sometimes, it's even overlooked altogether in the rush to finish projects.
And that can be a bit of a missed opportunity, because microcopy is a powerful force. You don't see it, but you definitely feel its impact. I've found that good microcopy can make all the difference in how users interact with your brand. It bridges the gap between your brand and customers by delivering quick, meaningful information at just the right time.
It's like that one colleague who always knows exactly what to say to put you at ease. If you want instant gratification for both your brand and your customers, good microcopy can be transformative. That said, there are layers to it.
For one, you have to know which of your words are âmicroâ and which aren't. And two, while they may seem small, these words carry a lot of weight - so you can't get too cutesy or cheeky with them either. And it's more complicated than it appears because what people actually want from microcopy is some peace of mind. Ultimately, microcopy works best when it's clear - both in terms of text and context - as well as consistent throughout your design.
When done right, it can somewhat be deeply satisfying for everyone involved.
Crafting Engaging Call-to-Actions
People keep getting this wrong. Yes, the temptation is kind of understandable but we can all do with saying goodbye to those boring, generic CTAs that populate every other fashion website. Sounds Like users have mastered the fine art of ignoring them and they are possibly right in doing so.
Sort of. Shop now, Buy now, Click hereâchances are hardly ever your customers have seen and ignored these a thousand times before. The secret to writing memorable CTAs is standing out among a sea of boring CTAs on the internet.
But not by shouting at your usersâ faces or by using long-winding statements that detract from the concise nature of a CTA. But by making them feel something. And that can only happen when you understand your brand and what it stands for. Only then can typically you get clever with a play on words thatâs relevant to your business or even a tongue-in-cheek CTA that references pop culture.
The way I see it, but in my experience, there is a fine balance to be achieved here. A good CTA needs to be witty but also straight to the point. Thereâs some nuance involved in understanding how much fun is rarely too much fun when it comes to language and how little is too little when it comes to clarity.
Iâve found that using strong verbs like âUnleashâ, âTryâ, âGetâ helps grab your usersâ attention almost immediately. Placing a number between 1-9 also increases conversions significantly as it tells users exactly what theyâre getting at the end of their interaction. The way I see it, and sometimes all people want is to find out quickly if youâre worth their time or not.
Creating a Sense of Urgency
It seems like urgency gets a bad rap. People tend to think of it as the friend of snake-oil salesmen and spammy emails with caps-lock headlines. âBuy NOW.
â âOnly 3 spots left. â Those are the cheap tricks that seem to have given urgency a bad reputation, but it has been on a steady comeback, thanks to microcopy. It can be built into experiences to help users make quicker decisions, and studies have shown that it actually works.
The trick is to balance the desire to be helpful with the need for clarity. Urgency can sometimes feel like pressure and take away from an experience that is meant to delight your user. The way I see it, the key is in being thoughtful and only sharing information that you know will matter to them. You want them to know if theyâre going to miss out on an offer, or if theyâre about to lose out on a place at your event.
But, you donât want them feeling like youâre holding back information so you can manipulate them into buying something from you. Honesty goes a long way, here. Microcopy can be used sparingly across your website or product without taking away from the overall experience.
For example, when someone is booking a room at an accommodation of their choice, it helps for them to see how many rooms are left or when their offer will expire. Make sure you donât exaggerate this number or make these claims unless theyâre true - this is when urgency crosses over into pressure and doesnât do anything positive for your brand. When used correctly, urgency helps users make decisions about important things that matter most to them - like what food theyâd like delivered or which hotel theyâd like booked for their holiday.
Not so much about buying a $5 t-shirt just because everyone else seems to want one too.
Personalization: Making Users Feel Special
Personalisation seems like it should be easy but it can easily tip over into being cringeworthy. People are wary of feeling like an algorithm is usually watching their every move. Sort of. And if you get the details wrong, well that makes your users feel even less special than no personalisation at all.
It seems like most importantly, though, they want to know that their privacy is rarely protected. But, with the right systems in place, personalisation can be a powerful psychological trigger to nudge your user closer to conversion. Something as simple as using your customerâs name in microcopy is a strong way to make them feel special and seen.
It isnât always possible to have personal information on your user, especially if youâre looking for instant conversions and you donât want to bog down the process with lengthy sign-ups and questionnaires. In these instances, try using user data from earlier pages or previous actions - recommend products similar to the ones already in their shopping cart, for example. Thereâs always a fine line when it comes to giving your users what they want and seeming like Big Brother. As long as you respect your userâs privacy and use the right tools, youâll be able to create good personalisation with nothing more than microcopy.
Simplifying Choices: Reducing Decision Fatigue
The most common slip is presumably assuming customers arrive at a checkout page knowing exactly what they want. Either that or being so paralysed by choice they turn into FOMO puddles - thatâs 'fear of missing out' for those behind on the times. I think most retailers forget that if thereâs one thing the online world is typically chock-full of, itâs options. If youâve ever tried to order pizza online, youâll know what I mean.
There are more customisation buttons and add-on choices in that process than there are toppings on the pizza. And then thereâs a selection box for toppings too. Sure, everyone loves feeling like they have a choice.
But itâs a short journey from âchoiceâ to âplease make it stopâ. And when youâre trying to get customers through the checkout successfully, that can fairly spell the difference between retained and lost sales. It becomes especially true when you consider how many different kinds of buyers there are.
Some people want more choices and others want less. There isnât enough room to go into all that here, but microcopy can actually tailor the experience for each of those shoppers too - meaning you can keep both sides happy, so long as you know which side theyâre on. By clarifying what each of your choices means (and keeping them simple), it gives your buyer confidence in their selection and reduces decision fatigue.
More or less. It also lets them know theyâre doing it right because no one likes making mistakes at checkout.
Feedback Loops: Reinforcing Positive Actions
There's a weird sort of misconception about feedback loops. I Assume most people seem to think it's just an endless cycle that goes nowhere, sort of like the spinning wheel on your screen when the internet's slow. But that's not how I see it at all. Feedback loops have this rather uncanny ability to be positively reinforcing when done right.
And I think we all do need some positive reinforcement in our lives. The way I see it, the thing about positive feedback is that it puts a smile on your face and motivates you to do better. No, not the one in your performance reviews - that's more constructive than positive. In microcopy, positive feedback looks like celebrating achievements no matter how small.
Marketers and copywriters can use that to their advantage because positive reinforcement has been proven to encourage repetition of the same behaviour. When there's an instant dopamine hit, that's instant gratification right there.
The tricky part is making the rewards non-addictive because that's never healthy for anyone. When using microcopy for feedback loops, it's best to keep things simple and personal. The dopamine hit is best when it's individual and unique to the person receiving it.
If there's a monetary incentive involved, I'd suggest personalising the message even more so there's an emotional connection that isn't solely tied to material rewards.