Value proposition is the #1 thing that determines whether people will read more about your product or leave your page. Get it right and it’s a big boost. The newer your company the better your value proposition needs to be, that’s because people don’t know about you yet so give them a teaser that makes them want more.
What is a value proposition?
… a strong Value Proposition doesn’t include every benefit that you can deliver, therefore you should avoid the temptation to cram everything in.
It’s a promise of the value you deliver and the reason a customer should buy from you. It explains how your product solves their problem or improves their situation. For example, when Apple first launched the iPod in 2001 they simply said, 1000 Songs in Your Pocket. It was clear, compelling and easy for the audience to understand. Notice there was no mention of the iPods tech features or memory size in the value proposition. Steve Jobs stated, “the value Proposition is the clear articulation of what it is that you want your customers to know about you.” That said, a strong Value Proposition doesn’t include every benefit that you can deliver, therefore you should avoid the temptation to cram everything in.
Here are some more examples of good Value Propositions. I won’t go into depth about every website and why its VP works because each one would require its own in-depth study, which would probably bore you to death and I get that. I just want to show you what a VP looks like at a glance so as to get your creative juices flowing and to make sure you pay more attention to your own VP when the time comes.
Lyft – Rides in minutes
Bitly – Shorten. Share. Measure
Mail Chimp – Send Better Emails
Evernote – Remember Everything
Vimeo – Make Life worth Watching
Apple MacBook – Light Years Ahead
Uber – The Smartest Way to Get Around
Your value proposition should be the first thing visitors see on your home page. It should be visible across your website and be jargon free.
Remember the purpose of your VP is for your customer’s benefit and should speak to them in a language they understand and want to receive. In other words, it meets their needs. What it shouldn’t do is turn them off with a description of the hoops you jump through to provide your service. The VP examples I have shown you are all headlines and with all headlines, there’s also an accompanying sub-headline, followed by a paragraph of text and a photo or graphics. And while there is no right or wrong way to do this there is a way that will help your competitive edge.
Feel free to use this formula as a start point to create your own VP
Headline/Attention Grabber. In one short sentence describe the end benefit you are offering
Sub-headline. Come up with a 2-3 sentence paragraph providing a specific explanation of what you do or what you offer, who is it useful to and why.
Bullet points. List the key benefits or features.
Visuals. Images communicate faster than words. Show the product, the hero shot or an image that reinforces your main message.
Check that your VP answers the following questions.
•What product or service are you selling?
•What is the end-benefit of using your service or product?
•Who is your target customer?
•What makes your offer better?
Creating your VP can take quite a bit of work. Sometimes it’s the tiniest tweaks and nuances that make the difference and you’ll probably need some help with this, however, you now have a good jumping off point to get you started, so your one step ahead already.