Microcopy: 5 guidelines you should follow

Microcopy includes all the small pieces of text on a website or app. So, not the big blocks of text, but the little, less noticeable pieces (such as error messages when filling in a form or a button text). Microcopy directs users where you want them to go and gives your digital product a human touch, which builds a long-term connection with your customers.

Writing effective microcopy is, however, anything but simple. So, start with these five guidelines:

1. Use the proper tone of voice

The tone of voice is not so much what you say but how you say it. It’s the difference between “Book your trip” and “Start booking!”, for instance. The tone of voice of your microcopy must fit with your image and what the user expects from your brand. After all, inconsistency or an unexpected tone of voice will lead to mistrust (just think of phishing emails that raise suspicion because the text sounds odd).

Example from “Microcopy: the complete guide” (Kinneret Yifrah)

Two online shops (Nike and J. Peterman) want to justify why they ask for your date of birth.
The well-known, more serious Nike opted for this approach:

(...) required to support the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA)

Whereas J. Peterman took a different route:

Sorry, our lawyers made us ask.

Two similar messages but with a completely different tone of voice. And that’s a good thing. If Nike were to say the same thing as J. Peterman, it wouldn’t match the image the company has built. Furthermore, it would raise questions with the user.

2. Meet people at their level

One of the goals of microcopy is to make your digital product more human. Conversational writing is a must to reach that goal. This style of writing is a combination of colloquial and written language and gives the user the idea that they are dealing with a real person. So consider this: if you wouldn’t say it, why would you write it?

Moreover, research shows that when visitors feel well, they are easily motivated. It makes them more positive and prone to act. They are even so prone to act that they would rather make any decision than no decision at all.

Coolblue example

Rather than a robotic “Your shopping bag is empty”, the online Coolblue shop provides a more human message. The extra line of copy highlights their tone of voice and, at the same time, makes me chuckle.

The cherry on top? I get the option to find products or check my wish list. Gerrit made me feel happy, my options were clear, and all I had to do was click. Life can be so simple sometimes.

Don’t patronise people, though. Don’t give the user a bad feeling by tapping into their sense of guilt. That conversational technique is called confirm shaming and usually has the opposite effect.

3. Keep it short and clear

When it comes to websites and apps, people don’t have a lot of patience – that's just the way it is. That is why good microcopy is concise, clear and useful. The user needs to understand the message without having to think about it too much.

Sign up or log in?

This example has undoubtedly crossed your path: sign in or log in. This combination always throws me off. While “log in” refers to an existing account, “sign up” refers to an account yet to be registered. However, it can confuse people – especially people whose mother tongue isn’t English. Therefore, it would be better to change “sign up” to “register” or “create an account”.

4. Don’t ask too much of your user

Make it easy for people to complete an action. To give you an example, users hesitate when they have to register to do something. It sounds time-consuming and gives the user the feeling that they are entering into a long-term commitment, which may be a bit much for them.

The 300 million button

There once was an online shop faced with a challenge. After shopping, users visited their shopping bag and clicked “checkout”.

They were then presented with two options: log in as a returning customer or register as a new customer. Register?! No, thanks! Many users left the flow then and there.

That’s why the online platform decided to replace “Register and Checkout” with “Continue” and an accompanying line of text that told users they weren’t obligated to create an account in order to buy something.

That simple replacement increased the number of customers by 45%, even though the user still had to click “Continue” and fill in their data – just like before. The following year, the platform’s revenue shot up by 300 million dollars. Again, life can be so simple.

5. Talk about the added value for the user

Simple and clear: that’s what microcopy is. And that doesn’t just apply to how easy your copy is to understand. It’s also about the added value the user can get out of it. That’s why you need to make the benefits for the reader as clear as can be.

Focus less on the execution of the action and more on the benefits of that action. Don’t talk about yourself – focus on the user. Do you remember that perfect representative we spoke of in the previous blog post?

Have a look at how Ovidias does it:

Rather than saying, “Subscribe to our newsletter”, the company focuses on the fact that you will get a discount. Interesting! If we focus too much on the action, chances are that your reader will immediately move on without giving the benefit so much as a second look.

Think of your microcopy, think of your user

There you have it, five guidelines for good microcopy you can start using today. Just remember to think of the user and consider the way you would use your website or app. Moreover, keep it human. A friendly greeting could end up being the reason why your users convert.