Your button says "Submit" and nobody clicks it

You change it to "Get My Free Trial" and conversions jump. Not by a little. By enough that you're checking the analytics twice to make sure it's real.

That's not magic but specificity, because "Submit" could mean anything - submitting a form, submitting to fate, who knows. "Get My Free Trial" tells people exactly what happens when they click. No ambiguity, no hesitation.

You know those IKEA instruction manuals that just show you pictures of what to do? No words, just "put tab A into slot B." They work because they're specific about the next action. Your microcopy needs to do the same thing.

Error messages are where this really shows up. "Invalid input" leaves users stuck, staring at a form, wondering what they did wrong. "Email addresses need an @ symbol" tells them exactly how to fix it. One leaves people confused, the other gets them moving again.

The best microcopy doesn't try to be clever but just removes friction. Instead of "Learn More" it says "See How It Works." Instead of "Click Here" it says "Download the Guide." Every word earns its place by making the next step obvious.

Fix the words. Watch what happens.