UX Writing And UX Copywriting: What Is The Difference?

UX and UI have been the center of discussion for quite some time now with companies using the terms frequently while designing their digital strategies. But it’s not always easy to understand what the difference between UX writing and UX copywriting is when you are new to them.

UX writing and UX copywriting have both differences and similarities which are essential to understanding how the two work. Hence, here is everything you need to know about UX writing and UX copywriting, statistics associated with them, and best practices you can use when integrating UX writing and UX copywriting into your strategy.

Table of Contents

UX Writing

UX, which stands for “user experience”, and UI, which stands for “user interface”, are both important for your website’s design and content. Indeed, it’s not just about the way your website looks, but also the text and the content that you place throughout. UX writing is directly related to the creation of this text and content.

Most of the time, a UX writer is the person writing texts that help users perform a particular task on a specific webpage or website. Because these texts are meant to make the user experience better, they are usually concise, useful, and clear. They guide users through all the necessary steps they need to perform to reach their goals.

UX writers usually work with other departments of the company. They often work with marketers, customer consultants, software engineers, product managers, and other specialists. Some companies may still use the term “content design” instead of UX writing even though the two are quite different.

UX Copywriting

UX copywriting is often used interchangeably with UX writing even though the two are different concepts. While UX writing is concerned with content primarily used on websites and apps, UX copywriting is concerned with advertising and marketing content. The two have different applications though both are meant to improve user experience.

UX copywriters create promotional materials and content such as brochures, emails, billboards, and promotional website content. The text used in this content is referred to as “copy” and prompts users to perform particular actions. Most of the time, business owners will hire UX copywriters and UX writers from top custom writing services or similar agencies working with user experience content creation.

Key Differences

So, what exactly sets the two apart and why can’t they be used interchangeably? Both UX writers and UX copywriters work with words and create content, but there are some notable differences that definitely make them unlike one another:

Goals: UX writers need to solve the users’ problems by instructing them on how to do this. UX copywriters need to encourage users to perform a particular action beneficial for the business (e.g. make a purchase, subscribe to the newsletter).
Timeline: UX writers are present at the inception of the product and put themselves in the shoes of the customers to understand how the product will be received. UX copywriters are involved during the marketing stage to help promote the product.
Collaborators: UX writers collaborate with different departments. UX copywriters only work with the sales and marketing departments. UX copywriters can also work alone while UX writers can’t.
Data Sets: UX writers work with data related to products such as product usage. UX copywriters work with data related to the website and various marketing materials such as the site click-through rate.
Wording: UX writers use simple words to explain processes and concepts. UX copywriters use “sexy” words to attract customers and sell products.

Key Similarities

With all those differences, it may seem that UX writing and UX copywriting are completely unrelated. But this is not true. They have some similarities too:

Orientation: Both UX writing and UX copywriting are concerned with user experience to some extent. They are both a part of content marketing and digital marketing.
Qualifications: Most UX writers and UX copywriters have a background in writing. UX writers are often ex-copywriters. Both UX writers and UX copywriters need to have some understanding of technology.
Website Use: As mentioned above, UX writing and UX copywriting are both concerned with a user experience which means they are directly related to the way they are used on your website and the way they improve your website’s ratings.

Best Practices

Last but not least, it’s crucial to understand how to use UX writing and UX copywriting correctly. Here are some best practices to follow:

Be Concise: UX writers need to explain things concisely and clearly to help the users understand how to perform certain tasks. UX copywriters need to be concise to keep the attention of potential customers.
Avoid Double Negatives: Both UX writers and UX copywriters need to be clear for the audience to understand what they mean.
Address Your Audience Directly: Both UX writers and UX copywriters often use “you” to address the audience and create a connection with it.
Stick to Consistency: Both UX writers and UX copywriters need to be consistent in their content if they want to avoid miscommunication and misunderstandings.
Remember About Visuals: UX writers will probably work with other departments that will create the visuals while UX copywriters might have to create them themselves. In both cases, visuals need to go along with the text.
Format Copy and Content: Always remember about formatting both for UX content (UX writing) and UX copy (UX copywriting). Many users prefer scanning or skimming instead of reading which is why formatting is so essential.
Be Careful with Humor: Though humor can lighten up the tone, UX writers need to be careful with it to avoid misunderstandings while UX copywriters need to be careful with it to avoid being tone-deaf or inappropriate.
Test Everything: One of the most important things to remember about UX writing and UX copywriting is that you should always test everything before you actually use this content or copy.
Improve and Upgrade: Moreover, once you have tested your content and copy and then used them, you need to continue monitoring their performance and improving and upgrading them over time.

If you are still unconvinced that UX writing and UX copywriting are important, here are some UX statistics to consider:

Only 55% of companies conduct UX testing which means your involvement with it will help you stand out from the crowd and attract more customers.
88% of online shoppers say they wouldn’t return to a website if they had a bad experience on it. This makes UX-oriented strategies extremely important for everything from sales to customer satisfaction.
44% of shoppers usually tell their friends about a bad experience they had while shopping online which can harm your reputation easily.
Better UX design is said to improve conversion rates of up to 400% while better UI could raise them up to 200%. This makes UX and UI-oriented practices extremely effective.
Around 70% of failed online businesses are shut down because of poor usability which proves once again the importance of a well-designed website and customer-oriented strategies.

Final Thoughts

All in all, UX writing and UX copywriting are both very important for the success of your digital campaigns. Make sure that you understand the difference between the two and know how to use them correctly. Apply the tips from this article to your own strategy and start integrating UX writing and UX copywriting into your campaigns.

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