Grainger acquired (Gamut) a white-label digital-only product line and needed a UX writing guideline or some quick tips for a newly formed Merchandising Team. Guidelines needed to align to UX writing best practices that support higher conversion rates. The standardized writing guidelines include a point of view on: Information Architecture, Content Design and Microcopy.

• UX Research indicated the current copy at Gamut was not assisting online customers to make quick and confident purchasing choices.
• The Merchandising Team wasn’t versed in UX writing practices and needed guidance.
• Copy wasn’t focused on non-experts and customers who are not sure what they need for the task at hand.
• Current product copy was also not balancing the need for product education along with product copy conciseness.

• Create a Quick Tips digital tool identifying the ideal Information Architecture and UX product information needed.
• Balance needs of product team with sales team, ensuring customers has enough information to make a purchase.
• Incorporate UX writing guidelines into Quick Tips to balance educational aspect of a product with concise product copy.
• Promote use of simple, nontechnical language and steer clear of jargon to accommodate the non-expert buyer. 

Overall, hierarchy and collection copy should include:

• What the product is or what it does
• Why the customer would choose it over the other options (i.e., the benefit)
• When/Where the product can be used, such as common applications (when useful)
• How the product works (when important to the buying decision)

To keep copy timeless to minimize maintenance during product adds and discontinues, it should never include:

• Product specifications not directly tied to the node/collection title
• Included parts or accessories

When sending copy guidance for the UX Copy Team, include information about the basic functions and differentiating information in nontechnical language. The Copy Team can always help provide support with naming if given enough information on what sets the product apart.

PAV copy explains the benefit of specific attribute values on the page. Whenever we ask a customer to decide between values in tables and/or filters, we need PAV copy if the benefits wouldn’t be immediately obvious to the non-expert.