Notes

Language and Clickthroughs

Dustin Curtis spends, “a lot of time thinking about how to improve user experiences”. As part of this thinking he’s put together some very interesting thoughts on the use of language as a design element, encouraging users to follow him on Twitter and measuring the effects of language on clickthroughs. (For the record, he’s well worth following.)

We spoke about the use of language as a design element, and the importance of functional microcopy like this, at our talk on Carsonified’s FOWD Tour (and have recently been commissioned to provide some consultancy on precisely this topic). As such, it’s no surprise to discover that we’re firm believers in the power of language - or good copy - as an integral part of the design process.

Often overlooked in the design process or added as an afterthought, it’s interesting to read Mr Curtis’s detailed, and well-reasoned, thoughts on the power of copy as he moves through a variety of phrases, tracking their clickthrough and conversion rates:

• “I’m on Twitter.” (4.70% Clickthrough)
• “Follow me on Twitter.” (7.31% Clickthrough)
• “You should follow me on Twitter.” (10.09% Clickthrough)
• “You should follow me on Twitter here.” (12.81% Clickthrough)

Mr Curtis concludes:

At the very least, the data show that users seem to have less control over their actions than they might think, and that web designers and developers have huge leeway for using language to nudge users through an experience.

Looking at the numbers, it’s hard to argue with this reasoning and clearly highlights the importance of considering copy up front in the design process. (Needless to say, you should follow us on Twitter here.)

[Rediscovered via Mr Donnelly and his recent article The Death Of The Blog Post.]

1259106000 · Christopher Murphy · Follow Us on Twitter

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Learn how to build hand-crafted web pages using well-structured XHTML and lean and efficient CSS. By embracing a web standards approach, HTML and CSS Web Standards Solutions enables you to create web sites that not only look great in all modern browsers, but are also accessible to a wide variety of audiences across a range of platforms - from those browsing on everyday computers, to those accessing the web on the latest, emerging mobile devices.

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In addition to their role as lecturers in interactive design at the University of Ulster at Belfast, where they have been active in promoting a web standards-based curriculum, Christopher Murphy and Nicklas Persson are practicing designers and digital artists. Their work has featured in a variety of design books and magazines alongside numerous internationally respected designers and they are regular speakers at design conferences and workshops worldwide.

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