Writers understand, more than anyone else, the weight of words. Effective text is integral to the success of a product and services, or for powerful marketing. Although the role of the modern copywriter has existed for decades, the idea of what constitutes successful copywriting changes to reflect the demands of current times.
The needs and desires of consumers naturally shift as well. One of the biggest factors today contributing to the shift in effective copywriting in a large way is technology. Technology has moved us from newspapers, television advertisements and billboards to websites and apps. Technology has birthed the Information Age, in which the Internet is king.
The shift into the Information Age has and will continue to have a significant impact on how to approach advertising and marketing strategies. Does that mean traditional copywriters should throw everything they know out the window? No, definitely not. But if you haven’t already been adapting with the times, it is now more important than ever. Copywriting is still needed more than ever to help companies achieve business objectives, but a different way of copywriting will be more valuable than ever – copywriting with User Experience (colloquially known as UX) in mind.
As with copywriting, the objective of UX writing is to produce effective text. UX writers or copywriters work very closely with design teams working on websites or apps to ensure an overall positive experience for users. The text plays a more important role than ever in shaping the narrative of a website or app, which in turn highly correlates with the user’s experience.
The world moves at a much quicker pace than ever. The general consensus is that websites have an average of between three to eight seconds to capture a viewer’s interest. And this number has only decreased over time. If the text on a website or app confuses or frustrates a user, they are more likely than ever to abandon it for something that is less complicated to them. Companies realize how important effective text on their websites and apps are – a user’s frustration or confusion can quickly turn them away from using a product or service. Today’s companies are competing harder than ever for acquiring and holding on to user attention, let alone customer loyalty. This is why effective copy is more important than ever.
Copywriting with UX in mind also demands a well-rounded grasp on not just the product but also the goals of both design and development teams, as well as overall company strategy. Does the text work well with the design? Does the flow of the website correlate with the message being put forth? You must not only understand how users will perceive the website or app, but also identify who your audience is – this is paramount.
Understanding and implementing the latest learnings in UX can help ensure successful copy. So where does a copywriter find the latest learnings in the field of UX? There is a wealth of UX research or usability testing being done by agencies and companies, where professionals, such as psychologists, evaluate findings – what works and what doesn’t. Fortunately, a great deal of this information is available for free on the Internet. Additionally, successful copy can now be measured more than ever before with the analysis of user time spent on-page or the rate of goal completion.
Copywriters wield great power as they are not only more necessary, but perhaps more influential than ever before. This is why it is also more important than ever to be an informed writer by staying attuned with the latest consumer behavior trends and findings. This increase in responsibilities and skills only makes the process more exciting and, of course, deeply rewarding.
