What is User Experience?
The content written on your website goes hand-in-hand with User Experience. UX aims to allow users to achieve their goals, which is done by making these goals as easy as possible for users. Ultimately ‘it is the process of enhancing user satisfaction by improving the usability, accessibility, and pleasure provided in the interaction between the user and the product.’
People usually associate visual design, front-end programming, or interface design with UX. The User Experience Professionals Association defines UX as every aspect of a user’s interaction with a product, Technology is now so heavily integrated within our lives that the job role of a UX writer has formed. UX writers write copy for user-facing touch points.
The user experience honeycomb by Peter Morville places importance on these seven aspects of a good user experience: useful, desirable, accessible, credible, findable, usable, and valuable.
Content for UX Tips
Content needs to be written with readability in mind, it needs to be understandable and easy to scan and read. It should be organised in a hierarchical way, with content being laid out in a logical order, this will satisfy the user and improve user readability and comprehension. Keeping the user at the forefront of content writing is paramount, it is important not to forget who the user/reader is.
When writing the content for a mobile app, is it important to not repeat information or instructions. Tapering the length of the content as the user gets deeper into the app benefits the user as it becomes briefer as the user gets the hang of it. If the content writer feels that long instructions and descriptions are necessary throughout the app, it is likely that there is a design and development flaw that overcomplicates the app – ALARM BELLS!
If your design is fun, you need to write fun and relevant content which your users will relate with. On average, users only spent 10-15 seconds on a web page. If your design and content connects with the user, they are more likely to stay on a page. The creative team and content curators work together to achieve a seamless user experience. Providing a mobile-responsive and pleasant design and aesthetics is not enough to build a strong and positive user experience.
The ultimate aim of content is to achieve a high conversion rate. Clear wording and a well-written call-to-action will boost conversion rates. Use keywords which will resonate with the user and brainstorm around each keyword, consider what questions the users may wish to ask, and then answer them. Essentially, write with FAQS in mind.
Content Writing Vs. UX Writing
Content writing and UX writing are definitely not the same thing. Content writing is about creating a voice that readers relate too. However, UX writing is about writing to enable someone to easily use, understand and enjoy a product. UX copy aims to help users complete the aim.
The designer and developer working on your software project will work centred around User Experience and User Interface design. However, your writer needs to write with UX at the forefront of their efforts. A brilliant design cannot alone be responsible for the success of a website, mobile application or a piece of software. When you have had your website, software or mobile application designed and developed don’t let the hard work go to waste by using any copywriter to write the content. For the most successful and effective user experience, it is best to use a UX writer.