Why content is at the heart of great customer experiences

Many companies underestimate the impact of well-crafted content. A great customer experience content strategy ensures that users get the right message, at the right time, in the right way. Whether it's a button label, an error message, or onboarding text, content must be clear, helpful, and engaging.

“Ignore your customer and your research at your own peril,” Bobbie said. “Companies who listen to customers, respond to their needs, and build for them are the ones that succeed.”

A strong content strategy goes beyond just writing—it involves:

• Understanding user needs through research and testing.
• Aligning messaging across channels to create a seamless experience.
• Balancing brand voice and personalization to connect with diverse audiences.

When content is designed with the customer in mind, it guides them effortlessly through digital experiences, making interactions more intuitive and enjoyable.

"Companies who listen to customers and build for them are the ones that succeed." — Bobbie Wood

Testing content: why words should never be an afterthought

Good content doesn’t just sound good—it performs well. That’s why testing content is just as important as testing design.

“Testing must go beyond isolated elements,” Kelly said. “It’s not just about which button label gets the most clicks—it’s about the entire user journey.”

Many teams A/B test call-to-action (CTA) buttons, but content testing should be applied throughout the customer experience, including:

• Onboarding flows: Do instructions make sense? Are users dropping off at key steps?
• Checkout processes: Is payment information clear? Do error messages reduce confusion?
• Email subject lines & marketing copy: What messaging drives higher engagement?

Often, organizations will get fast feedback on 10 or more variations of a CTA's copy to get to a final two or three versions they then put through A/B testing. 

But, Bobbie said, “It’s not enough to get users to click a button. Did they continue engaging on the next three screens? Testing must look at the full experience.”

By testing content writing best practices, businesses ensure that content is effective, user-friendly, and aligned with real customer needs.

“It’s not enough to get users to click a button—testing must look at the full experience.” — Bobbie Wood

Finding the balance: brand consistency vs. personalization

One challenge many brands face is keeping their messaging consistent while adapting to different audiences.

“Your brand voice should be clear, but flexible,” Kelly said. “I like to think of it as a dial. You can turn the tone up or down based on the context, but it should always sound like your brand.”

For example, a financial services brand may use a formal, trustworthy tone for security notifications but allow a more conversational voice in a welcome email. Similarly, an e-commerce brand may maintain an upbeat, energetic tone while adjusting for different customer segments.

To balance consistency and personalization, brands should:

• Define a strong voice & tone guide. Include examples of how tone shifts in different situations.
• Use plain language. Make content easy to understand, avoiding jargon.
• Leverage AI for personalization. AI can tailor messaging without losing brand integrity.

Personalization should enhance, not replace, a consistent brand experience. As AI-generated content becomes more common, human oversight remains crucial to ensure authenticity.

“Your brand voice should be clear, but flexible. Think of it as a dial.” — Kelly Erickson

The rise of AI in UX writing: threat or opportunity?

AI is transforming content creation, but can it replace human UX writers? The answer: not yet—and maybe never.

“AI can mimic human communication, but it still lacks true empathy,” Natalie said. “There are nuances AI can’t address—at least, not yet.”

While AI-powered tools like ChatGPT can assist with writing, they still require human guidance to ensure:

• Accuracy: AI-generated content can sometimes be misleading or incorrect.
• Emotional intelligence: AI doesn’t fully grasp tone, cultural context, or user intent.
• Brand alignment: AI outputs need refining to match a company’s specific voice.

Despite these challenges, AI can help UX writers work more efficiently by generating drafts, suggesting edits, and analyzing data. The key is using AI as a tool, not a replacement.

As Bobbie puts it: “AI is powerful, but humans will always seek human connection.”

“AI is powerful, but humans will always seek human connection.” — Bobbie Wood

Why content strategists should be involved early

One of the biggest mistakes companies make? Bringing content strategists in too late.

“The earlier, the better,” Natalie said. “We should be there from the first kickoff meeting, helping shape the experience—not just adding words at the end.”

When content strategy is integrated early, teams can:

• Avoid last-minute content fixes that don’t align with design decisions.
• Ensure clarity in user flows before they’re built.
• Make research-driven decisions about messaging and user expectations.

Great content isn’t just words on a page—it’s an essential part of the product experience.

Clarity is kindness

At the heart of every great customer experience is clear, user-friendly content. Whether it's microcopy on a button or an entire website redesign, the way brands communicate can build trust, reduce friction, and create more enjoyable experiences.

If you’re in marketing, UX, or product design, now is the time to prioritize content strategy in your customer experience efforts. Because the right words can change everything.

As Kelly reminds us, "Clear is kind. When we make content easy to understand, we make the experience better for everyone.”

Editorial links

• The business case for content testing: Learn how to prove its impact on customer experience and business success. Watch the webinar now!

• Benchmarking your content: Discover how to measure and improve content performance with benchmarking strategies

• Small changes, big impact: content design with Kelly Erickson: Tiny tweaks, major results! Hear from Kelly Erickson on how small content changes can transform the user experience.

• Content testing & measurement: Test, refine, succeed! Learn how to measure content effectiveness and make data-driven improvements.

• What does a content designer do?: The role behind great UX! Get insights into what content designers do and why their work is crucial.