Questions tagged [copywriting]
the art of writing promotional text to make an emotional impression on the reader, usually to encourage a purchase. Don't confuse with the [copyright] tag.
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Should numbers be written in numerals or words?
When writing numbers, should we use numerals ("5,000") or words ("five thousand")? I'm particularly interested in how easy each is to read and interpret, and whether it's an important consideration ...
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What to call the "Short News" section/module?
I have a classic section called "Latest News & Articles" which is in the bigger left column.
But then I want to have a block with "short news" like here (screenshot from games.cz):
In Czech it'...
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In user instructions, which term is more widely understood to mean a character A thru Z, letter, alpha or something else?
In the terms of a search where a user can enter an account number into a text field, what is the most straight forward instruction for a group that may not be tech savvy.
download bmml source &...
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Best practices for naming steps in a workflow (status labels)?
I've been unable to find a good guide for naming steps in a workflow (status labels).
What are some principles / best practices?
If you're curious, my specific case is:
I have a system where users ...
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2
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1
answer
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How to display NumPad keys to user
We are trying to map how a user will see key presses for custom hotkeys. However, there is some debate which I cannot find a standard for:
How to display the number pad keys:
num1, num2, numPLUS, ...
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votes
1
answer
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Best practices for content placeholders?
I'm currently designing a Profile page that requires users to add a variety of items using forms (different forms for each section). When they first create their account, the Profile will be ...
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21
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6
answers
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"Expiry date" or "Expiration date" label
What is the best form label to use for the credit card expiry date (during a checkout process on an eCommerce website)?
I've done some research and noticed that some sites use 'Expiration date' and ...
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3
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Show file size of (inline) linked downloads?
Should we show the file size of downloads linked on a web page?
For download sites (e.g. file hosting services), the answer is obviously yes. But what about websites that offer downloads only ...
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7
answers
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What's a better label for the traditional "Browse..." button for selecting files to upload?
I've been working on an advanced file uploader, complete with folders and animated progress bars, and wanted to improve the vague "browse" button generally used for launching a file selector window. ...
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3
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Should I put "." at the end of messages for mobile users?
Should I write "." at the end of messages displayed to the user in my mobile Android application?
For example:
High bandwidth required, switch to WiFi.
or
High bandwidth required, switch to ...
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What would you label 'Delete oldest and Save' action?
The (iPad) app has a limit to the number of sessions which can be saved.
Once the limit is reached, when the user tries to save a new session he gets a dialog box telling:
You can either delete ...
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3
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Is it OK to use 'free' in a tax subtotal?
we are designing a checkout page and in the subtotals area we have a breakout for tax, shipping and discounts.
We use the term 'free' rather than '0.00'.
So, for example:
Subtotal: $140.00
Tax: ...
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10
answers
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What is the recommended wording for a generic error message
What would be the best wording for a generic error message?
With generic error message I mean a message for an error that has occured but there are no details on what the error is or how to recover ...
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Best practices for application alerts
As a developer, I'm always confused about the three basic values of any application's alert:
Title
Message
Dismiss button
What should be placed in those 3 values? FAQ for myself:
Should the title ...
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7
answers
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How to phrase button labels?
How should I phrase the following button labels:
"Import image" or "Import an image"?
"Create app" or "Create an app"?
"Add description" or "Add a description"?
If you could also supply the grammar ...
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3
answers
851
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Why use the append text to copy-paste ("Read more at ...") pattern?
I was copy-pasting some text from a website and besides the text I copied, the following text was appended "Read more at: http://www.YYYY.com Copyright © YYYY".
I've seen this pattern in many ...
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2
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How fluent should filters be?
I have a few types of filters for a table and they should be concatenated.
So in the end I should get something like this:
URL contains google.com and Visits > 1000 and Date is before 30.12.2011
...
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5
votes
5
answers
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"Millions of colors" vs "24-bit": should technical concepts be simplified to ease understanding at the cost of precision?
Macs indicate 24-bit color depth by using the term "millions of colors", while Windows calls it "24-bit" or "32-bit". (I'm aware that Windows "32-bit" color simply adds an alpha channel that doesn't ...
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1
answer
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Should I retry a manual refresh when network is available?
I have a mobile app that automatically downloads user content from the Internet according to a schedule. Sometimes it might miss a scheduled update because the device wasn't connected to the Internet ...
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8
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Why do some sites use "If you are not <user>, click here" instead of "Log out"?
I've recently noticed that several websites, e.g. Amazon, Dockers, etc. say "If you are not -username-, [click here]" instead of an explicit logout button. Is this another example of hiding the logout ...
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3
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Use old or new name for an update confirmation message when name itself has been updated?
I want to provide a user of a web application some confirmation message like:
The task "foobar" has been successfully updated.
Now, in term of usability, if the update consists in changing task’s ...
user30979
2
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2
answers
227
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Mobile, "Show Remaining" or "Show All"?
In a mobile screen I have n data items in collection, but I am limited to show first 3 or 4 items from it. For the rest I can put a button below 3rd or 4th item which can lead my user to a popup where ...
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content for information message
Is it better to display
a positive informative message
"You can only view and share links of icons. for additional options please login"
or negative informative message
"Downloading, Uploading or ...
- 1,002
3
votes
3
answers
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Contact page. Which is the better wording?
What is the most appropriate Contact page title for a website?
Contact, Contacts, Contact us or other?
Contacts is used, among others, in iOS and Android.
Seems to me more related to a list of ...
- 1,452
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votes
1
answer
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Startup screens: "Show this page at startup" vs. "Don't show this on startup"
I'm currently working on an iOS app where the user is presented with a startup screen until the user disables it.
I am insisting that this startup screen should have an already ticked checkbox that ...
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votes
24
answers
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What word can be used to mean either click or tap?
Very often we need to speak generically about clicking or tapping an item, but there seems to be a lack of vocabulary in English for this. We could just say "click or tap" every time, but ...
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4
answers
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Should a username be truncated?
Is it ever OK to truncate a username? Is there any good solution / trade-off?
Site shows username as:
Username: Shrinivasuk View: Shrinivasu...
Username: Ritesh View: Rite
Username: Poonam View: ...
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Choosing a Tagline [closed]
Choosing a tag line is a crazy for a developer. We just dont understand the language enough to choose a good tagline.
We are about to release a website and a mobile app that books taxi's online. On ...
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2
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Experience with effective subject and body for "credit card expiring soon" emails
I have a subscription service that has a few dozen subscribers drop off every month because of expired credit cards. I was hoping to gain a little insight into some best practices for an email to prod ...
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2
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Differentiate between exact date and date period (e.g., month vs. month of year)
I'm working on a web-based reporting system that allows users to create ad-hoc charts. The user selects the data to be analyzed (e.g., sales dollars, sales volume, number of employees, etc.) in ...
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4
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Another phrasing for the term "Directions" in this case?
Below is a short browser based linux simulator for training purposes. It basically starts off with a blank screen, and gives directions for the user to enter a linux command to do a given task. If the ...
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What call to action to use on a button that sends an e-mail with order details?
On a website you can use your e-mail address to view your current order status. No personal identifiable information is displayed. However, you can let the website resend the full order confirmation ...
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votes
7
answers
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How to define/classify messages and notifications in web applications
I have seen content from various style guides and UX guidelines about this, and was wondering if there is a much more simple system to create a consistent and easy to implement design for various ...
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Is there a better label for the "OK" button in message boxes with just one button?
Having read "Should I use Yes/No or Ok/Cancel on my message box?", I do understand that message boxes with two or more buttons should use verbs instead of e.g. Yes and No.
To further improve the user ...
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5
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What keyword best describes offers and discounts?
I am currently designing an preliminary mock-up for a vacation rental company. They want to prominently display a a link to a promotions page on their main navigation, where users can view the latest, ...
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2
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Setting vs Settings? Which one makes more sense in a dropdown button
This button should do what it looks like it should do. It opens a drop down of actions that a user can perform on their user account. Should I go with "Setting" or "Settings"?
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5
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Word to indicate moving from "Draft" to "Live"
I'm looking for a friendly, widely understood word to indicate that something is going from a "Draft" state into a "Live" state.
The difference between these two states is that once it is "Live" ...
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3
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What is the correct way to indicate something can be either singular or plural?
Taking it as a given that the system is not intelligent enough to be able to recognise a single result as apposed to multiple results (don't ask!), what is the correct way to represent the possibility ...
- 1,102
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votes
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Print array index in plain text
I'm developing an engineering application which stores data in C arrays. When a user edits data representing one of the items of the array, I want to be able to show the item number they're editing.
...
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answers
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What to call "Cancel" when "Cancel" is already the default action?
When attempting to cancel a service or setting, "cancel" is the default action. What should the normal "cancel" button be called?
Redbox uses a playful "just kidding", which may not be appropriate in ...
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Ampersand on first or second line?
Should the ampersand be on the first or the second line of a title?
Or does it depend on the length of each line?
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Is there a reason to use this icon with a confirmation message?
This is the message Sharepoint 2010 gives as a confirmation message for requesting access to a particular site you do not have access to.
I am quite confused by the icon - to me this looks like a "...
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"Activate" / "Enable" + "noun verbing" or simply "Verb noun"?
A popular chatting application has the global option "Enable buddy icon animation". Would this be better phrased as "Animate buddy icon" or not? And if so, is this a general rule? For example, ...
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Why write "Polite Notice" on a sign?
I was parking my car this morning, and saw a sign attached to someone's front gate...
Polite Notice:
Do not park in front of these gates at any time.
...and I wondered about why the author ...
- 3,014
7
votes
3
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Where should I display 'free shipping if payment by debit card'?
I've been working on an e-commerce website, and the stakeholders want to add the following text: 'free shipping if payment by debit card'. Where should I display this on the website?
I think the most ...
user25518
3
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1
answer
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What are some important aspects to be considered when creating microcopy for a web app that has a global audience?
We are creating an enterprise web app for a global audience. I am responsible for creating microcopy - the content you see all over the web interface, such as button text, error messages, guiding text,...
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Succinct copy vs Verbose copy
This is a minor detail to most people but will hopefully not be lost on a UX audience..
My partner and I have different approaches to writing copy for our new startup: He prefers to be very succinct ...
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340
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How does individual vs pluralistic language affect community?
Pluralistic
Imagine our goal is creation of a community environment (perhaps such as UX.stackexchange).
Through our word choices, we can choose individual or pluralistic expressions - and the words we ...
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3
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Fusing words for website name: confusing or doable?
Arguably UX starts with the domainname. Well perhaps a bit far-fetched, so please feel free to suggest what might be a bitter fit than UX.SE for this question, but here it is anyhow.
I'm looking at ...
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How to realistically test blog headlines before publishing?
I'm currently writing a post for my company's blog. I'm agonising over the headline, as I really, really want people to read this post (I'm trying to convince our users to opt in to our customer ...
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