Copywriting for mobile sites

If good web writing is good writing boiled for forty minutes on high, then good mobile web writing is leaving the copy on the stove overnight.

That concentrated stuff on the bottom of the pot? That’s what mobile users want when they’re on the go.

A few tips for writing better mobile web copy:

Cut to the chase.

If you can’t write the copy on your hand, rewrite it.

Be goal-directed (your users are).

Mobile users are less inclined to browse the way they do on the desktop web. They want information and they want it fast. Consider their reason for visiting any given page and remove all text that doesn’t help them achieve that goal.

Front-load like journalists do.

Get the point of every paragraph in the first sentence and the point of every sentence in the beginning bit. That way, users can decide quickly whether they want to read on.

Some devices may truncate headlines, so front-loading increases the chance of retaining some sense after being sliced in half.

Use descriptive headlines and subheads.

Headlines and subheads let users parse your pages fast. Forget the cute puns and go for short, simple descriptions.

Get the right amount on each page.

Too much copy and you chase people away (or make them scroll forever). Too little and you force them to click too often. Make like Goldilocks and cut your copy into the chunks that are just right.

Use the active voice.

The active voice is shorter and punchier than the passive voice and it’s more fun to read.

Use the second person.

Prose that refers to ‘you’ a lot is usually prose that is clearly focused on its reader and its purpose. People respond better to direct, eye-to-eye copy than to abstract writing about ideas or hypothetical users.

Test on humans.

Usability is a critical success factor for mobile content, so test yours on real people. Invariably, you’ll tweak this, tighten that and rewrite whole sections. And the content will be a lot better for it.

We’re always looking for good examples of mobile copywriting to share with our mobile marketers. If you’ve seen some (or written some) that you like, send it in.