The same applies to online marketing. A single clever move or a minor SEO tweak can boost website traffic more effectively than complex and costly changes. A typical example is microcopy. Small bits of text, buttons, links, error messages, form fields… Seemingly minor details that are well worth paying close attention to and will pay off handsomely. They actually have more power than they appear to at first glance. They can either delight or annoy a visitor, drive them away from the site or motivate them to make a purchase.
We’ve put together 5 simple rules for smart micro copy. Go through your website with them and start making small changes with a big impact today!
1. Be human
Write the way you speak. Clearly and personally. Users will feel at ease with you and want to stay on your site. You can start with a simple exercise: find any piece of micro copy on your website. Imagine the user is standing right in front of you and you want to say the same thing to them out loud. Would you say it exactly as it’s written? If so, you’ve got it and we’ll move on. If not, it doesn’t take much:
For example:
- ‘Let’s go to the next page’ sounds more pleasant than ‘Next’.
- “What else would you like to choose?” sounds better than “Continue with your order”.
2. Motivate and offer solutions
Open the door for the customer and give them a good reason to come in. Explain at a glance why it’s worth buying from you or leaving their contact details. Most of us crave benefits and a simpler life. Whoever gives us that wins.
Try something like this:
- Change “Share this product with friends” to “Don’t let your friends buy the wrong stuff.” Who wouldn’t want to help their loved ones? :-).
- Change “Page unavailable” to “We’ve had a bit of a connection glitch, but it’ll be up and running in a moment! In the meantime, why not browse the latest arrivals in our online shop?”
Here’s how they collect email addresses at the Dobrovský bookshop, for example:
3. Ask questions instead of giving instructions
Before a customer goes through a single ordering process in an e-shop, they receive around ten instructions. Order, fill in, enter, select… . It sounds logical and we’ve got used to it. But it’s all the more pleasant to shop somewhere where you don’t feel like you’re in the army.
Can you feel the difference?
- How would you like your parcel delivered? instead of Select delivery.
- What else would make you happy? instead of ‘Proceed to the next item’.
4. Be proactive
What might cause a user to leave the website? What might they not understand on their own and cause them to abandon their order? Customers often get stuck on a website in places you’d never expect. It pays to be proactive and answer their questions before they even occur to them. You’ll save them the effort of thinking, and they’ll reward you by staying on the site a little longer or ordering more. Simply because nothing will trip them up along the way.
- A good example is pre-Christmas shopping. Don’t let the customer feel uncertain; reassure them as soon as possible: Are you choosing a present for under the tree with us? We’ll easily make it in time.
- For a cycling e-shop, including information with every product can boost orders: We’ll send your bike fully serviced. The customer can then put their worries about the first service out of their mind and enjoy the ordering process.
5. Try to entertain
Not at any cost, mind you. Good microcopy doesn’t necessarily have to have the user in stitches. But if you find a good opportunity to lift their spirits or even make them laugh, it would be a shame not to take it! Play with words, use the context, or just be nice :-).
The master of inspiration is the legendary Czech site Woox.cz. It never disappoints:
And a final tip? Treat microcopy as a fun game with high added value. Every step towards improvement counts!