Writing intranet UX best practices is a matter of adhering to certain standards.

#Do you provide an engaging user experience on your intranet? Every user can benefit from this intranet UX writing best practices.

When it comes to intranet UX, organizations often focus on aesthetics, content, and navigation. The aspect that is most frequently neglected, however, is writing. The written word plays a critical role in a company’s intranet UX. Even if we are not specialists in UX design or maintenance, we are communications professionals, and therefore we know how significant the written word is. We might, however, be exposed to some blind spots in how we utilize words if we do not have a strong understanding of UX writing.

Before we dive into intranet UX writing best practices, let’s clarify what UX means and what it involves.

#What is UX?

User experience (UX) means a person’s emotions and attitudes about utilizing a product, system, or service. The practical, experiential, and emotional aspects of a digital user interface (UI), such as a corporate website or company intranet software, are part of UX. In other words, UX refers to how easy or difficult people find it to interact with technology. If people can quickly load up a UI and find information or complete a task, that is an example of good UX. If they cannot navigate or recognize digital signals, they will not be able to achieve their goals, which is an example of poor UX.

Everything from a website’s menu to the way in which images or videos are used contributes to UX. UX writing is just one of many elements that determine outcomes and attitudes, but it is an important one. Menu buttons, broken page links, and links leading visitors from one page to another, for example, all require microcopy words (although they may be small in size). Whether a website uses the phrase “BUY NOW” or “Let’s get started!”.

#Importance of Intranet UX?

Today, good intranet UX is crucial to the digital employee experience (DEEX). Employees accessing your intranet must have a pleasant, intuitive, and seamless experience. Digital workplaces particularly rely on their intranets to offer a seamless, intuitive, and enjoyable user experience. Especially when it comes to the text on the UI of your intranet, users should be able to locate information easily and move around easily. To ensure that users can locate the information they need and operate your intranet effectively, it is critical to follow intranet UX writing guidelines.

#The best ways to write for intranet UX are listed below.

#1. Use clear and concise language

An intranet with simple navigation may help users reduce cognitive load by avoiding lengthy, clunky, or complicated language. More difficult language takes people longer to process and may impede them from locating the information they require. Every sentence in succinct writing is succinct and to the purpose. Unnecessary words are eliminated, and the text is usually the result of painstaking editing. While editing, look for ways to diminish the length and clarity of each sentence. You may notice that certain words add little value to the meaning and make your writing appear cluttered after a second or third read. Jargon and technical terms should also be avoided, particularly if they relate to a company’s field of specialty. Research shows that 80% of people would rather read simple text than jargon, even if it relates to their job. When it comes to UX, the best thing is to use plain and simple language.

#2. Keep your writing simple and straightforward.

The personality and feel of your brand are shaped by the language used on your intranet, so take the time to consider its tone of voice. Do you want to inject more fun and personality into your intranet or do you want to create a more corporate and serious tone? You can create a call-to-action button that says ‘Take me there’ or Find out more which indicates the tone you would like to adopt. Consider whether a tone that is more casual and humorous is more appealing to your audience or one that is more corporate, formal, and matter-of-fact. If there are certain terms that must be included in your content, you may wish to talk with your team to find out if there are any. It is probably not a good idea to send your employees to a ‘scheduling’ feature if ‘rota’ is a more common term.

#3. Be consistent

It’s common for UX copy to include inconsistent language across different components of an intranet, but this might lead to confusion. For instance, you may use “scheduling” to describe booking an appointment in one part of the intranet software, but you may use “scheduling” to describe booking an appointment in a different part of the intranet. The opposite is also true; you might use “scheduling” in one part of the software and “booking” in another. Using identical language across your intranet helps users accomplish their objectives with as little mental processing as possible.

#4. Break up lengthy text

Do you want to know a secret? Readers don’t read websites. Every UI has so much information that we are predisposed to scanning for directional signposts, making scanning and searching for information common. As readers, we seek out verbal and visual cues that tell us where to go next. You may benefit from this characteristic, because it means an even larger role for heading, FAQs, ‘information accordions,’ and other similar features on the webpage. Headings and subheadings help your colleagues locate the information they need by allowing them to rapidly scan and locate the information they need.

With its intelligent Block Editor, Interact enables intranet CMS users to improve UX by providing simple drag-and-drop functionality for signposting. Each page is broken up into text blocks, column blocks, image blocks, and video blocks, making it easier to scan.

#5. Organize information logically

It’s critical to consider your intranet’s navigation menus and homepage content when considering intranet UX. When you are thinking about your intranet UX, ask yourself these questions: How would a person locate their way around if they arrived on the intranet for the first time? Where would they go first to locate the information they want? What would they most want to know? You may refine and organize the content you require on your intranet by answering these questions. If you need more help determining whether your intranet, UX writing, and content all connect with employees across the company, holding focus groups may be beneficial.

#6. Consider accessibility and inclusivity

When UX writing is done well, it raises the importance of accessibility to a new level. To do great UX, you must make sure that your writing is accessible to all of your users, not just visually accessible. Ask yourself whether your UX writing unintentionally alienates people in your company. There may be areas where you unintentionally alienate people because of the language you’ve chosen. Inclusion is important when selecting words that are broadly accepted and resonate with a wide range of employees. It’s easier to gain internal buy-in and engagement when the language reflects everyone’s lived experience and personal preferences. A built-in inclusive language editor in Interact can identify potentially non-inclusive language and help create content that talks to all users.

#Employees will love the intranet if you create an experience for them.

When it comes to UX, you must consider intranet design and navigation, as well as the content and wording that help guide your colleagues through the platform. By following these intranet UX writing guidelines and principles, you can give users an experience they enjoy.