Microcopy: small words, huge impact

Imagine a website with two identical buttons. The first button says, “Click here”, and the second one says, “Do not click here”. Which one would you click on? Are you sure? Behold the power of microcopy.

Microcopy, where copy meets UX

Microcopy doesn’t include all the text on a website or app. It’s the smaller pieces of text you’ll find here and there.

Button copy

Placeholder copy in forms

Tooltips (informative text that appears when you hover somewhere with your cursor)

Error messages and 404 pages

Popups to confirm something, such as your subscription to a newsletter

Etc.

Although these are only small pieces of text that are barely noticeable, they greatly influence the user experience of your website or app. They determine how a user uses and experiences your digital product.

Test your microcopy

Imagine your website without embellishments (fonts, colours, icons, etc.) or look at your basic wireframes. Do you still know where to click? Great! That means your microcopy is doing its job.

Sound microcopy allows you to guide your users through the funnel on your online platform and help them complete certain actions (such as filling in a form). At the same time, it makes users trust your product, feel excited to take action and revisit your services later.

Direct users where you want them to go

If you have an online shop, you probably want visitors to fill their shopping bags and place an order. Have you noticed that many users tap out when they have to fill in their data? Check if everything is easy to understand and users know how to fill in their data.

Phone numbers are a great example of this issue. 0495112233, 0495 11 22 33, 0032 495 11 22 33, +32 495112233 … In short, a phone number can be written down in many ways. Placeholders are a great way to illustrate which way you prefer.

Have some users filled in their phone numbers incorrectly anyway? Provide them with a clear error message explaining how to do it correctly.

The same thing goes for the reason why you request certain data. Research shows that people tend to leave the funnel when they have to provide their phone number because they fail to see the value or are afraid they will get bombarded with sales calls. By adding a clarifying line of microcopy, you can make short work of all suspicion on the user’s end.

Tip: tweak your microcopy before you change your design

Have you noticed that your users are not acting the way you want them to on your site or app (you can find that out with tools like HotJar)? Don’t throw your design out the window just yet. A/B test your microcopy first. It’ll cost you less time and effort, and the changes will be less noticeable to the user. That subtlety is microcopy’s greatest selling point: it changes the way users think without them knowing it.

Microcopy represents your brand

Microcopy goes beyond just accompanying the user on their journey. It’s just as much about humanising a digital product to forge a connection with the user. That holds many benefits, such as increasing engagement and conversions – and the time people spend on your website.

Think of microcopy as the perfect representative of your brand or company. Someone who exudes what you stand for, has your customers’ best intentions at heart and is keen to guide your customers throughout the entire process – introducing your brand, answering questions, closing a sale and providing aftercare. The right microcopy allows you to build long-term relationships and ensure that your customers become true fans of your brand.

Mailchimp excels at this. Sending an email to hundreds of people is always a bit stressful. Mailchimp addresses that in a human way with this message:

They decided to skip the cold computer lingo and use messages that remind readers of the fact that there are real people working at Mailchimp – people who also find it a bit stressful to hit “send”.

The right microcopy gives users the idea that they are communicating with humans instead of a computer. And that’s where conversational writing comes in. Something I’m happy to get back to in the next part of this series.

A strategic way of handling copy

Now that you know why microcopy is so important, you also need to know what “good microcopy” looks like. I’m happy to tell you in the next blog post of this series.

About the author

Nicki Sannen

Senior Copywriter - iO

Growing up with a love for languages, Nicki is right at home in the exciting field of copywriting. As a writer herself, as well as head of a team of copywriters and content marketeers - offering inspiration and guidance on the daily. Never at a loss for words, always on the winning team.

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Would you like to learn more about how to guide users through your website or app? Or how to give your digital product a human touch? We’re happy to help.

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