So, you’ve decided that you need a native mobile app. When you’re building the team to create this app, you know you need a designer, a UX architect, someone to manage the project, and the engineers to build it. That’s it, right?
Not quite! I can tell you from experience that having a writer on your app team is essential. But, you say, there are still apps out there being built without writers. I am here to tell you that is not the way! You need one on your team.
Here are some good reasons why:
Ease of use
You never want users to feel frustrated by your app. You want the experience to be simple and useful, and the last thing you want is someone deleting it because they couldn’t figure out how to make it work. To that end, the words you choose to guide users through the experience are as important as the way that you design it.
Do you know the difference between “save” and “submit”? What about “back” versus “cancel”? A writer does. Your UX architect can also give guidance for usability, but a writer should make the final decisions as to exactly what words you use where.
An on-brand experience
Your brand has a voice. Even if you don’t have strict brand guidelines, there is a style to how you talk to your customers. Are you friendly and helpful? Funny and silly? Serious and to-the-point? Your app is an extension of your brand, so the language should feel exactly like it does on your website or in any other communications. A writer will immerse him/herself in this language and ensure that your app strikes the right tone with your audience.
Clean copy
This might sound basic, but you probably won’t feel great when you’re swiping through your finished product and you find a typo. Or, worse, when one of your users tweets about it. From proper grammar and syntax to spelling and punctuation, this is easy to get right—or easy to mess up.
There are plenty of other reasons to hire a writer to work on your app: Better functionality, more entertaining copy, more engaging calls to action. So next time you’re ready for an app, remember that means you’re ready for a writer, too.
