Don't forget to write

A perfectly crafted website presents design and content in harmony. The two should build off of each other, creating a cohesive whole that intuitively leads users through. Applying the fundamental principles of UX to both design and copy is the way to achieve this balance.

The challenge

A client with a provenly effective lifestyle-based wellness program came to us for help. The program itself had a high satisfaction and retention rate, and their website was attracting significant traffic – but visitors to the site just weren’t signing up. It seemed that something was preventing conversion and causing people to turn away. After our first discovery session with the client, we proceeded to analyze the overall experience of the users. Visually the website was well structured and in accordance with best practices.

After a deeper analysis, the suspicion arose that the site’s copy was the problem. The original content was wordy and unclear, with important information buried in long paragraphs. The tone often felt transactional, even in situations where the user had already committed. The style varied considerably from page to page, as did the use of terminology, which made everything feel unintentional and difficult to navigate. Our user research confirmed this, and we decided to get to work.

A cohesive and intentional voice

Just as with the design, we leaned on UX fundamentals when reformulating the copy, beginning with mapping out the overall voice to be sure to keep everything consistent, friendly, and appropriate. Having a cohesive voice presents a professional and stable image that garners trust. Since new visitors to websites usually skim rather than reading in depth, we swapped out long paragraphs with shorter, succinct, and more eye-catching phrases, so that vital information would be conveyed even at a glance. We made sure that every term was used consistently and intentionally. Then, we revisited the calls to action and buttons, opting for informative and instructional words that guide users through the product and program.

Don’t just take our word for it.

After reworking the copy we saw a jump in user signup, resulting in an immediate two digit increase in conversion and confirming our suspicion that the previous copy was the issue. This shows that design and copy do not stand alone, and it is essential to consider both when creating or redesigning a product. When UX fundamentals are applied to written content along with the design aspects, the resulting product is a coherent whole that provides the best possible presentation and experience to users.