How to Write Regulations That People Actually Read?
The standard mobile app regulation has an average of 8,427 words. Reading it takes a user over 28 minutes, which in practice means that 99.2% of people simply click 'Accept' without looking. At Sticker Wizzard, we've been fighting this problem since September 2017, turning legal jargon into concrete rules.
No More 8,000-Word Texts
Most Polish mobile app developers are afraid to shorten regulations. They think the longer the document, the better the legal protection. This is a mistake that costs real money. An analysis of 112 complaint processes from 2023 showed that courts are increasingly rejecting provisions hidden in a thicket of incomprehensible definitions. If your customer doesn't understand what they are agreeing to, your protection is illusory.
At Sticker Wizzard, we use the method of cleaning text of wordy filler. Instead of writing about 'providing electronic services based on these provisions', we write about how the app works. The average user has 9 seconds to judge if they want to create an account. If in that time they see a wall of text written in 8px font, they'll simply close the tab and go to the competitor.
Regulations are not a blood pact, but an instruction manual for your rules. They must be readable for everyone.
The 8th Grade Rule
Good law is simple law. When writing regulations for our clients, we aim for a readability level adapted to an 8th-grade elementary school graduate. This is not infantilizing the customer; it's respecting their time. We checked 483 apps, and those that used plain language had a 19.4% higher conversion rate during profile registration.
Avoid phrases like 'immediately, but no later than'. Write specifically: 'you have 3 business days for this'. Concrete numbers build authority. If words like 'adequate' or 'appropriate' appear in your EULA more than 4 times, it's time for an edit. People want to know what they will pay and what they will get in return, not read a treaty on the parties' intentions.
Numbers That Change Perspective
Implementing understandable regulations in a SaaS-type app for one of our clients in March 2024 shortened onboarding time by 42 seconds. This might seem like a trifle, but with 1,237 new users per month, it results in huge time savings and fewer abandoned carts. Your EULA ready in 3 business days is our standard because we know business doesn't like to wait.
The rule is simple: the fewer questions a user has after reading the regulations, the less work your customer service office has. The record-holder we worked with noted a 34.7% drop in refund policy queries within just two months of publishing the new document version. These are real savings of several thousand PLN per month on consultant labor.
Effective regulations are those after reading which the customer doesn't have to call the hotline.
How to Start Changes Yourself?
Start with an audit. Read your regulations aloud. If you run out of breath before the end of a sentence, it means it's too long. At Sticker Wizzard, every document passes the 'reading over coffee' test. If our lawyer cannot explain the meaning of a paragraph in 12 seconds, the sentence goes for correction. It's a brutal but effective approach.
Heads-up: You don't have to change everything at once. Start with the privacy policy and Cookies that don't scare the user from the very entrance. In 2024, transparency is the new currency. If you show the customer that you respect their data and time, they'll reward you with loyalty. (By the way, most of your competition still uses templates from 2014 – this is your chance for an advantage).
