A customer types "tuxedo rentals" into their favorite search engine. They click on the first result, the page loads, 3 seconds go by and they leave. What happened?
Unfortunately this story is very common. It happens every day to millions of websites all over the world. Every second, millions of visitors take one look at a perfectly good website and run. So why?
The most common reasons to fix this issue include;
- poorly targeted advertising resulting in attracting an uninterested visitor.
- an unprofessional design or page loads so slow that visitors simply get fed up.
But what if you have all of those bases covered? Quite simply, it may be because you haven't provided them with the information they need to see to decide to stay within 3-5 seconds. We have elaborated on the concept of 'sales funnels' in the past. The purpose of this article is to discuss the importance of displaying an effective 'core marketing message.'
The Value of Value Propositions
A value proposition is a key phrase that tells customers what value they will receive for doing business with you. In my own experience, the problem that most companies have is that they tend to create broad level slogans that are so cryptic that nobody understands what you do. In this 'click happy' world it has never been so important to display a statement of value. Your visitor needs to understand why your product or service will help them, and offer a method to learn more about this offer immediately upon visiting your website. It needs to be clear, concise and simple enough for an 12 year old to comprehend.
Some of my favorite value propositions include:
Twitter: "Share and discover what's happening right now, anywhere in the world."
Facebook: "Facebook helps you connect and share with the people in your life."
And my current favorite…
Moore's Clothing Store: "Well Made. Well Priced. Well Dressed."
So how then, do we go about creating one of these value propositions? Here is a quick set of questions that you can use to test out your own value proposition ideas.
- The "anyone can say that" test. Run through your list of ideas and after each one say, "Anyone can say that." If the statement feels true, it's probably not an effective value proposition. Don't be too broad!
- The "Yes, but what do they DO?" test. Just like the previous method, say this phrase after each one. If the statement rings true, it's probably not going to pass the 3 second test. Be descriptive!
- Take a look at your service or product from a benefits perspective. Why will I benefit from buying your new brand of glue? Will it hold better? Is it cheaper? "We're stuck on customer service" simply isn't good enough. "Our glue holds forever. Guaranteed." — Now that's an offer you can't refuse!
Get It?
To sum up, make sure you put your statement to the test before splashing it across your homepage. On the web, company slogans are useless unless they help to keep or convert visitors. Show them value, give them something for nothing, feature an offer or product, clearly state what it is that you do – but please, please don't give them a fluff tag-line like, "Customer service you can count on." . After all - "Anyone can say that."
To learn even more please make sure to visit our blog on building an effective sales funnel for your website.
Great post Chris ! In fact we should offer customers more that what we say and this will show the integrity of websites and customers won't leave such websites very soon ! This shows the importance of understanding the psychology of customers. DO what you SAY and SAY what you DO
Very aptly put facts that would help us develop business Chris! Its like a 'reality test' for our business. Bookmarked and thanks a lot for these cool tips.
Well researched post. Thanks for such a thought provoking post. Core messages serve the purpose of window display. You said it very aptly what works and what not. Yes don't go for messages that any one can talk. It should have elements of AIDA (Attention, Desire, Interest & Action).
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