Writing & Content Guidelines

Clear, friendly, and helpful content that speaks to LawnGuru users.

🎯 Voice & Tone

Our Voice

LawnGuru's voice is consistent across all touchpoints:

• Friendly - Approachable and warm, not corporate
• Professional - Knowledgeable but not stuffy
• Helpful - Solution-oriented and supportive
• Clear - Simple and easy to understand

Our Tone

Tone adapts to context:

Marketing / Homepage:

• Enthusiastic and inspiring
• Benefit-focused
• Action-oriented

App / Dashboard:

• Efficient and clear
• Task-focused
• Supportive

Errors / Problems:

• Empathetic and apologetic
• Solution-focused
• Reassuring

Success / Completion:

• Celebratory but brief
• Affirming
• Forward-looking

✍️ Writing Principles

1. Write for Humans

• Use conversational language
• Avoid jargon and technical terms
• Write like you're talking to a friend

Instead of: "Initiate service request submission" Write: "Book your service"

2. Be Concise

• Get to the point quickly
• Remove unnecessary words
• Use shorter sentences

Instead of: "In order to proceed with booking your lawn mowing service, you will need to select a date" Write: "Choose your lawn mowing date"

3. Be Specific

• Use concrete examples
• Provide clear instructions
• Avoid vague language

Instead of: "Contact us soon" Write: "Call us at (555) 123-4567 or email hello@lawnguru.com"

4. Focus on Benefits

• Lead with what the user gains
• Explain the "why"
• Make it personal

Instead of: "Our service includes weekly mowing" Write: "Enjoy a perfectly manicured lawn every week"

5. Use Active Voice

• Subject performs the action
• More direct and engaging

Instead of: "Your lawn will be mowed by our team" Write: "Our team will mow your lawn"

📝 Content Types

Button Labels

• Start with verbs
• Be specific about the action
• Keep under 3 words when possible

Examples:

• ✅ "Book Service"
• ✅ "Save Changes"
• ✅ "Send Message"
• ❌ "Submit" (too vague)
• ❌ "Click Here" (not descriptive)

Form Labels

• Clear and descriptive
• No colons
• Sentence case

Examples:

• ✅ "Email address"
• ✅ "Property size"
• ✅ "Preferred mowing day"
• ❌ "Email:"
• ❌ "PROPERTY SIZE"

Error Messages

• Explain what went wrong
• Tell users how to fix it
• Be empathetic

Examples:

• ✅ "Please enter a valid email address (like name@example.com)"
• ✅ "That username is taken. Try adding a number or using your last name"
• ✅ "Your password must be at least 8 characters"
• ❌ "Error 422: Invalid input"
• ❌ "Field required"

Success Messages

• Confirm what happened
• Provide next steps if needed
• Be brief

Examples:

• ✅ "Service booked! We'll see you on Monday, June 5"
• ✅ "Payment saved. Your next charge is July 1"
• ✅ "Message sent to your lawn care pro"
• ❌ "Success"
• ❌ "The operation completed successfully"

Helper Text

• Provide guidance before errors occur
• Keep it short
• Use when input format is unclear

Examples:

• ✅ "Use at least 8 characters with letters and numbers"
• ✅ "We'll send a confirmation to this email"
• ✅ "Format: (555) 123-4567"

Empty States

• Explain why it's empty
• Suggest an action
• Keep it friendly

Examples:

• ✅ "No services scheduled yet. Ready to book your first lawn mowing?"
• ✅ "Your inbox is empty. All caught up!"
• ❌ "No data"
• ❌ "0 results found"

📋 Grammar & Style

Capitalization

• Sentence case for most UI text
• Title Case for headings and page titles
• ALL CAPS - Avoid except for acronyms

Examples:

• ✅ "Book a service"
• ✅ "Schedule Your Lawn Care"
• ❌ "BOOK A SERVICE"

Punctuation

• Use periods for complete sentences
• Skip periods for fragments in UI
• Use commas for clarity
• Limit exclamation points

Examples:

• ✅ "Your service is scheduled for tomorrow."
• ✅ "Service scheduled"
• ❌ "Service scheduled."
• ❌ "Congratulations!!! Your booking is complete!!!"

Numbers

• Spell out one through nine
• Use numerals for 10 and above
• Use commas for thousands: 1,000

Examples:

• "Choose from five service plans"
• "Schedule up to 12 services"
• "Serving 1,500+ happy customers"

Dates & Times

Dates:

• Monday, June 5
• June 5, 2025
• 6/5/2025 (in forms only)

Times:

• 9:00 AM
• 2:30 PM
• Morning, Afternoon, Evening (for time slots)

Contractions

• Use them! They're friendlier
• "You're" not "You are"
• "We'll" not "We will"
• "Don't" not "Do not"

🌐 Inclusive Language

Gender

• Use "they/them" for singular
• Avoid assuming gender
• Use gender-neutral alternatives

Instead of: "When a user signs up, he should..." Write: "When users sign up, they should..."

Age

• Avoid age-related terms
• Don't assume technical ability based on age

Ability

• Use person-first language when referring to disabilities
• Don't use disability as metaphor

Instead of: "That's crazy!" or "That's insane!" Write: "That's surprising!" or "That's unexpected!"

General

• Use "people" not "users" when possible
• Avoid idioms that don't translate well
• Be mindful of cultural differences

📱 Platform-Specific

Web

• More conversational
• Can be slightly longer
• Include helpful details

Mobile

• Extra concise
• Front-load important info
• Smaller text limits

Email

• Personal and friendly
• Clear subject lines
• Include next steps

SMS/Notifications

• Very brief
• Essential info only
• Clear and urgent if needed

✅ Content Checklist

Before publishing, check:

• [ ] Is it clear and easy to understand?
• [ ] Is it concise (no unnecessary words)?
• [ ] Is it helpful (answers user questions)?
• [ ] Is it friendly but professional?
• [ ] Does it use active voice?
• [ ] Is it inclusive and accessible?
• [ ] Is spelling and grammar correct?
• [ ] Does it follow our style guide?

📚 Word List

Preferred terms:

• lawn care professional (not "guy" or "man")
• service (not "job")
• book (not "order" or "purchase" for scheduling)
• property (not "yard" in formal contexts)
• schedule (not "set up" or "arrange")

Avoid:

• cheap (use "affordable" or "budget-friendly")
• guys (use "team" or "professionals")
• easy/simple (what's easy for one isn't for all)
• just (minimizes importance)
• obviously/clearly (assumes knowledge)

Related:

• Design Principles →
• Accessibility →