When it comes to making money as a freelance writer, most people do not think about becoming a UX writer. Actually, a lot of people might not have heard about UX writing at all or have any idea what that means.
“UX” is technology language for user experience. As a UX writer, you are focused on making sure the writing on websites, apps, and more, provides a pleasant experience. If you want to know how to become a UX writer, you will need to spend more time developing skills outside of just creative writing.
Not only do you need to persuade the people on the website to do what you want them to do, but you also need to make sure it’s aesthetic and fits perfectly in the space allowed.
It is a field that is growing in demand, with more and more businesses needing professional websites that give customers a top-notch experience.
If you have wondered what UX writing is, how to become a UX writer, the skills required, and where to find jobs, we will be covering all of that and more.
What Is UX Writing?
UX means user experience. As a UX writer, your job is to cater to the user’s experience on a website or other professionally designed platform.
To make it easy to understand, have you ever been on a website that was terribly designed? None of the buttons worked, half the text went off the page, or some fonts would not load on your screen? That is what a terrible user experience is like.
Bad sites can break trust with potential customers because it just demonstrates that they are not professionals or do not take their image seriously.
That is where designers and UX writers come into play.
When you’re a UX writer, you are not only thinking about the customer reading the page, but you are taking the overall website design into consideration. On top of all of that you also need to be able to write in the brand’s voice and keep it consistent across all of the things you write.
You are working hard to make sure it is a pleasant experience for everyone, while also using copywriting skills to persuade the reader to take action.
When you are on a perfectly designed site, it feels effortless. You are able to understand everything, it flows together well, it tells you exactly what you need to know, and you are happier using it.
Skills Needed As A UX Writer
UX writing is under the umbrella of technical writing, along with specialties like copywriting, but it does have its own skill sets required.
Since UX writing is closely tied with copywriting, you will need to learn a lot about copywriting and marketing in general.
That means you’ll need to study things like persuasive writing, behaviors of customers, the psychology behind purchases, and even a little bit of sales.
On top of all of that, you will also need to study design elements. You will need to know which fonts go best together, how to properly size and fit in your text, and know what the goals are for the website you are writing for.
It is quite a lot of work! That’s why UX designers are in demand everywhere, since so many businesses have to have professional websites.
How To Become A UX Writer
#1 – Master the basics
The first thing you will need to do is to learn the ins and outs of UX writing and copywriting. Whether you choose to take a course, self study, or watch a lot of YouTube videos, you will need to know the basics.
UX writing is different than other kinds of freelance writing, so you will need to know what you are doing before you jump into working with and taking on clients.
#2 – Learn persuasive and UX writing-specific skills
This means you might need to learn about copywriting, the basics of design, different fonts and why people choose different ones.
You will want to take the time to study UX writing advice and figure out how everything flows together. UX writing is much different than creative writing, and while creative writing can help you become a better writer, you will need to deeply study UX writing and how it works.
#3 – Look around the internet
Now that you have a base skill set, this is a good time to look around various websites and start to mentally think about how you would improve each of them.
This is a good way to practice your skills without directly taking on client work. You will now be able to spot problems on websites and start to tune your eye for how you would fix it or what you would do to make it better.
#4 – Showcase your skills
After you have been practicing a lot and have put together some samples, you will want to collect them all into one central place. This will not only give you something to show clients, but you will be able to see your own growth as you practice and continue to learn.
Ideally, you will have a solid portfolio to show off that you can keep adding to as you take on more projects.
#5 – Work with tangible projects
Once you feel confident with your UX writing skills, you need to get your hands on some real world projects to do.
Whether you help a friend with a website, get an internship, try your hand at a few freelance projects, or anything else, you need to directly apply these skills to the real world.
Working with real world projects also gives you the ability to get direct feedback, which gives you a chance to improve your skills for the next project you work on.
After you get to this step, now you need to decide whether you want to keep doing freelance work or find a job as a UX writer.
Where To Find Work As A UX Writer
Since UX writing is so technically intertwined with technology and websites, there are a ton of different avenues you can take for this career.
You could choose to go the freelance or side hustle path or on the other end you could take a UX writing job at one of the big companies such as Apple, Google, or Amazon.
It really depends on what you want out of this career, but know that both are viable paths. You could also choose to freelance until you try it out enough and find a job in the field, or vice versa.
Either way, you will need to put together a solid portfolio to show off to clients. That will be the most essential step you take because your portfolio will speak volumes over any kind of training or education you have.
Clients and employers will always want to visually see what you can create and understand how you approach projects.
If you are looking for a traditional or remote job, you will find UX writing jobs on almost any job board or platform such as LinkedIn.
Ready to Become A Freelance Writer?
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It has a proven framework to get you out of thinking mode and get you out in the world to become a professional. Whether you want to pursue UX writing or any other kind of freelance writing, you will want to check it out:
