Microcopy: The small words that make a big impact

Photo by João Silas on Unsplash

Microcopy isn’t just reserved for people who work on products or within tech teams. The best microcopy spans across all user touchpoints. So it probably deserves a little more attention than it currently gets.

Recently, I’ve been training teams across the charity on the importance of microcopy. From health information teams to product managers. Campaign teams to UX. Trading teams to developers.

Learning more about microcopy is something that can improve your content no matter what team or discipline you work in.

Microcopy sounds like a niche subject. Why train people on it?

Working in content, I notice copy (good and bad) wherever I go.

Push notifications on my phone…

Over familiar push notification from Miss Selfridge

…error messages when I’m printing something off at work …

Human sounding Microsoft Word printing error message

… updates in the app store….

Update information from Duolingo that injects some brand personality

… standing in the queue at the Post Office…

Hospital cards? People are looking for get well cards surely!

and even when going to the toilet on the train.

Picture taken on a Virgin Trains. You literally can’t get away from it

You get the picture.

Which is probably what inspired me to pass the annoyance of noticing copy wherever I go, onto everyone else.

But not just for that reason.

Copy, no matter how small, is an interaction between brand and user. It’s a chance for you to inject brand personality and increase a user’s understanding when interacting with your interface.

Good microcopy will probably go unnoticed. Which is fine, because it means that it didn’t cause your user any problems.

But bad microcopy sadly probably will get you noticed. Getting it wrong could frustrate your user. And it could be the difference between a positive user experience, and an experience so bad, your user never comes back again.

Microcopy is the small words that make a big impact

So what is microcopy?

Microcopy is the words that often go unnoticed on an interface. It’s things like:

· form field prompts

· menu items

· error messaging

· validation messaging

· CTA copy

· pre-header text (in emails)

· form field titles

· success messages

Basically it’s the words that help guide your user through your interface. Often appearing at times when a user is taking an action, it’s important to get right.

Good microcopy has several benefits for both business and user

Alleviating users’ concerns

Before a user commits to an action, they’re going to be asking themselves a few questions.

Think of it like this. Imagine you’re on holiday and you’re visiting the hotel pool. Before you jump in you’re going to be asking yourself a few questions.

Is it deep enough to dive in? Is it going to be freezing cold?

You look around for signals. The sign that says it’s 7ft deep where you’re stood. The notice that informs you it’s a heated pool. Satisfied, you take the leap in.

Without that guidance, you might wait it out to see if someone else dives in before you. Or just give up and decide to find a lounger to sunbathe on instead.

Microcopy has the same effect. Your users are looking for answers to their questions as they navigate through your interface. And if they don’t find an answer to those questions, they’ll give up and come back later. Or they might just leave and never return.

Microcopy makes an impact because it can alleviate concerns and give users the confidence they need to continue their journey.

Cancer Research UK example:

Users are reassured that the fundraising amount they choose on the form can be amended later

Increase conversions

Microcopy can help nudge conversions by giving users the information they need at the right time.

Cancer Research UK example:

When donating, users are reminded of the cause and the impact of their donation

Guiding users through a journey

Imagine your user’s journey is a road. Microcopy acts as the road signs along that road that guide your user along the way. Just like a road sign, microcopy tells a user what they need to do along their journey on your interface.

Cancer Research UK example:

Surrounding copy on forms guides users on what information to enter into fields

Setting expectations

A user should never be left second guessing what’s going to happen next.

Imagine you have a form on your website. It’s 30 questions long and takes about 30 minutes to complete. But you don’t tell your user that.

Your user starts the form. They’ve filled out a third of the questions and it’s taken 10 minutes. ‘Eurgh, how much longer is this going to take?!’ They answer a few more questions and after 15 minutes give up, not wanting to waste any more of their time.

Telling someone something might take 30 minutes to fill in up front might put them off from doing it then and there, true. But it probably means that they’ll come back when they have enough time. And not just give up after 15 minutes.

By setting expectations, you’re building trust that will take effect not only in the short term but that will last into the long-term too.

So use your microcopy to set expectations. And allow the user to plan for the task ahead.

Cancer Research UK examples:

This step-by-step on a sign-up form shows the user how many steps are involved in the sign-up process

Step-by-step journeys on web pages can set expectations before a user even reaches a form

Writing good microcopy

Brevity

Do: be brief
Keep your microcopy straightforward and to the point. The less words you can use to explain something the better. Aim to use the smallest number of words that still guarantees the meaning is clear

Don’t: overfill your interface with microcopy
Make use of opportunities to add value to your design. But don’t inundate the user to levels of irritation with copy every single place you can put it

Clarity

Do: be clear
Microcopy is a great chance to show your brand personality. But this should never be at the expense of clarity. Follow the age-old rule of: would my parents understand this? If not, then it’s not clear enough

Don’t: create ambiguity
Users shouldn’t have to pause to question whether what they’re about to do is going to give them the outcome they expect. So make sure you’re completely clear, especially when a user might be doing something destructive, like cancelling an order. Or deleting something

For example:

Example: No, I don’t want to cancel & Yes, I want to cancel — leaves no ambiguity as to what each action means

Authenticity

Do: sound authentic
There’s no better way to sound authentic than to make yourself sound human. Read your copy out loud. Does it sound robotic? Is that what you’d actually say it if you were speaking to someone in person?

Don’t: be off-brand
Think about your brand personality and what impression you want to convey. Your core personality traits remain the same, but you can flex your tone depending on the context.

Contextual

Do: think about context

Microcopy is extremely contextual. That’s why it’s so valuable. You’re answering a very specific need, that speaks to your users’ concerns on the spot. So ask yourself, what situations could a user see this? Will the meaning of the copy be affected depending on their situation and stage in the journey?

Don’t: be careless with your words
Think about your audience.

Google Chrome error message

The Google Chrome error message ‘He’s Dead, Jim’ might be appropriate for a Star Trek fan on a search engine. But saying that a link is dead on a page that’s talking about cancer, definitely isn’t.

Or as one person shared, having your husband called Jim die, and then seeing that message when you’re searching for something, not a great user experience.

Good microcopy is everywhere

Lots of time can go into the look and design, but words need just as much time, love and attention as anything else on the interface.

It’s not just about writing good copy. It’s about writing good copy, everywhere. Even in the nooks and crannies. Because the best microcopy, is everywhere.