The Perils of Poor UX Copy

You’re standing at a dusty crossroads in the American West. It’s predusk and a pink glow tints the open desert. You can feel a chill breeze lapping at your brow, a message sent ahead of a cold night. The first metallic stars are piercing the blue abyss above you. 

It should be a beautiful, spiritually enriching place.

But you’re lost and there’s no signpost to guide you onwards and away from the wild, encroaching darkness. There should be, but the powers that be have failed to hammer one into the rocky ground. 

What was previously a beautiful vista is now a hostile, alien landscape. Endless lunar badlands with creeping shadows. 

This is what happens with bad UX copywriting. 

You leave people all alone in the desert with no way of navigating – no signposts. Even if your app or website is as beautiful as a pink sunset, it doesn’t matter. If your users are lost they’ll soon forget about aesthetics when they can’t get what they want. 

Simply put, bad UX copywriting is bad for business. 

So why is UX copywriting overlooked? 

Despite its importance, many brands still don’t see the significance.

They might prioritise design, functionality or launch speed without understanding that badly crafted or absent copy not only confuses users but puts them off altogether. 

This is because brands don’t always understand copywriting (and, by extension, UX copywriting). 

They think it’s just a few words to compliment the design – rather than the backbone of an entire experience. Rather than what defines how people think and feel about their brand. 

And what does that lead to? 

Frustration and abandonment

Non-existent or confusing UX copy frustrates users. If they’re struggling to understand how to use your product or navigate your website, it’s likely they’ll give up. And why shouldn’t they?  After all, it’s on you as a brand to make their life easier, not harder. 

Low conversion rates

Bad UX copy can derail user journeys at critical points, such as during checkout or when completing crucial forms. This means lower conversion rates and missed business opportunities.

Poor brand perception

What you say and how you say it impacts how people view your brand. If your UX copy is bad they might think you’re unprofessional or careless. And that’s understandable. If you don’t care about the message you’re putting out there, it suggests you don’t care about the reader. So why should they care about you? 

Increased support costs

This is an often overlooked impact of bad UX copywriting. Not only will people buy less of what you sell, they’ll also seek more customer support due to unclear instructions and general vagueness. 

Decreased loyalty

Few people will stick by your brand if you can’t or won’t communicate effectively. It erodes their trust. You must earn their loyalty by offering consistent, clear and helpful content. 

And, last but not least…

Lost revenue

 Ultimately, the combination of frustrated users, reduced engagement, and lower conversion rates leads to lost revenue. People go elsewhere if they’re not happy with your brand or are finding you too difficult to work with. 

Unless you’re deliberately self-sabotaging, you must put your users or customers at the heart of your digital spaces. After all, they don’t call it user experience for nothing. 

If you do this, making sure your UX copywriting is on point, you’ll reap the rewards of clued up customers who keep coming back.

Stay tuned for Part 2 as we venture into the desert once more to explore the benefits of brilliant UX copy. 

In the meantime, talk to us about how to bring clarity to your customers.