Want to ensure the success of your business? In that case, you need to invest in well-written, engaging website copy.
Although commonly overlooked, strategic copywriting can help attract high-value web visitors. It can position your brand and solutions as the right choice for your ideal customers. And most importantly, it can inspire prospects to click that "Buy" button.
But the thing is, many business owners (and even some professional marketers) don't know how to write great value propositions. More worryingly, they frequently fail to use layout and web design to support their claims, resulting in underwhelming conversion rates.
So, unless you're OK with alienating potential customers, harming your brand's reputation, or failing to draw in bottom-of-the-funnel web visitors and turning them into buyers, these are the copywriting tactics you need in your arsenal.
This guide will overview six of the most common value proposition mistakes, providing tips to help you avoid them, as well as examples of how to incorporate these strategies into your web copy. Let's get into it.
Failing to Acknowledge the Importance of an Emotional Hook
How do consumers decide to invest in a product or service?
Even though most people conduct pre-purchase research (with most people spending up to 79 days deciding on big-ticket items), the reality of modern consumption is that it's often impulsive. In fact, a recent survey discovered that 36% of Americans make the majority of their purchases without prior planning.
So, why does this happen? Emotions and irrational thoughts have a massive impact on consumer behaviour. A Harvard study even found that 95% of all purchasing decisions are subconscious.
Emotions—both positive and negative—can influence your target audience's buying behaviour. They can forge strong brand connections (which are crucial for preference and loyalty). And they can even sway on-the-fence web visitors to make a decision sooner rather than later.
So, if you want to guarantee your value propositions inspire consumer action, don't fail to acknowledge the importance of an emotional hook, especially as it can be as simple as addressing your ideal customers' aspirations, needs, or desires.
For instance, look at how Ever After Weddings presents its services on its homepage. First, it engages web visitors by saying that it's "where dreams begin." However, what stands out is that the brand expands on this value proposition with highly effective framing copy just below.
Source: everafterweddings.com.au
Ever After Weddings states that a wedding day should be effortless and magical, which is particularly important as many couples understand how stressful weddings can be. It emphasizes that its team specializes in creating bespoke celebrations, which is a great tactic, seeing that most people want their weddings to be authentic. Finally, it highlights its attention to detail as one of its primary differentiators, which is especially vital in an industry where there are hundreds of things to keep track of at any given moment.
Too Much Distance Between Your Value Prop and the Sales Funnel Entry
When searching for solutions to their pain points, most consumers don't want to wait. Instead, they want immediate access to high-quality info, tools, products, or services that can help them remove their frustrations. (Naturally, this is one of the reasons why people are so likely to make impulsive shopping decisions.)
But while writing convincing web copy can be a great way to nudge your audience toward a conversion decision, it's also important to consider where and how you present them with value propositions.
Position high-value copy elements in the wrong spot, and they probably won't drive sales. Fortunately, this is a mistake that's easy to fix.
One of the best ways to elevate your copywriting strategy is to use layout and web design to ensure your value propositions inspire conversion decisions.
Something as simple as removing the distance between your value prop and the sales funnel entry can prevent web visitors from becoming disengaged or thinking that you don't have the solution to their needs.
Check out how two different brands incorporate this tactic in their website copywriting efforts.
On the one hand, Business for Sale knows that the primary value it offers to customers is the ability to find a viable company to purchase. With this in mind, the brand doesn't just invite web visitors to "find [their] dream business [...] for under $500k." It makes it exceptionally easy for prospects to turn dreams into reality with a functional search tool positioned just below the value proposition.
Source: businessforsale.com.au
On the other hand, Start in Wyoming doesn't use interactive UI elements to inspire web visitors to action. Nevertheless, by positioning relevant CTA buttons below its value proposition, this brand effectively encourages prospects to commence the process of registering their LLC in Wyoming, either by getting in touch via email or scheduling a consultation call.
Source: startinwyoming.com
Not Expressing Customer Value in Meaningful Metrics
No matter how hard you try to write convincing, conversion-inspiring copy, you won't have success getting web visitors into your sales funnel if your value propositions lack relevance.
Ultimately, consumers don't just expect brands to demonstrate a profound understanding of their needs. More importantly, 81% of people actively ignore irrelevant branded messages.
So, if you want your value propositions to drive web visitor action, focus your copywriting efforts on producing messages that align with your target audience's wants and needs.
Something as simple as addressing desired outcomes can be more than enough to capture their attention and get them to check out your brand's offer. Take a look at how Focus did it:
Source: focusapp.io
Nevertheless, if you want to guarantee that your value propositions stand out and contribute to higher conversion rates, consider supporting your claims with relevant and meaningful metrics.
By supplementing copy with real-life data, like Narwal does, you can show web visitors exactly how your solutions target their pain points. For instance, in the example below, the brand points out that its product is tangle-free certified, which is particularly important for buyers with pets or long hair.
Source: narwal.com
Making the Value Proposition Seem Speculative
The reality of producing conversion-inspiring copy for your website is that it must convince your target audience of your brand's trustworthiness.
If you look at data from 2023, you'll find that 88% of consumers consider brand trust to be an important purchase-influencing factor. Additionally, 87% of buyers would pay more for products from businesses they perceive as credible.
Now, the thing is that some industries aren't doing well in terms of trust.
Some sectors, like health and finance, often have to work extra hard to build credibility. So, if your brand relies on its authority to convert customers, don't make the mistake of failing to support your copy with relevant trust elements adjacent to your value propositions.
The good news is that this doesn't necessitate a complex copywriting or design strategy. In fact, something as simple as showcasing credibility signals and messages in the same area as your USP can be a great way to position your business as trustworthy and your products as effective.
Check out how Brain Ritual does it. This business understands that people may be a little skeptical about the product. So, it showcases several relevant trust signals in the most prominent areas of its homepage. These signals include the U.S. patent number for its product, several icons stating that the product is “doctor approved” and uses “clinically tested ingredients”, as well as indicators that it's sugar-free, vegan, keto-friendly, and doesn't include any artificial flavours.
Source: brainritual.com
Trying to Be Everything for Everyone
In 2025, generalized claims don't sell. Instead, consumers are increasingly demanding personalization, relevance, and authenticity.
So, if you're trying to create copy that appeals to a large and diverse audience, you're probably seeing the opposite outcome—it's not really engaging anyone.
Fortunately, it's super easy to fix this copywriting mistake by making a small adjustment. By zooming in on your niche and highlighting the specific and unique customer benefits you offer, you can carve out a spot for your brand in your industry.
For example, check out how Bite does it. Sure, the brand could market its product as an all-over great fit for anyone looking for great toothpaste. And, in some cases, it does. However, in the hero section of its homepage, the brand highlights two of its most specific unique value propositions: the fact that it uses non-plastic packaging and that its solution doesn't contain any harsh chemicals. For eco-conscious buyers—who make up the majority of Bite's target audience—this is precisely what it takes to inspire them to convert, helping the brand reach its growth goals at a sustainable rate.
Source: bitetoothpastebits.com
Ignoring Differentiation — Especially in Competitive Niches
Finally, if you're looking to avoid some of the most common value proposition mistakes and produce website copy that sells, don't forget to emphasize everything that makes your brand and offer better.
After all, selling in 2025—whether it's products or services—is far from easy. Data suggests that, for the past two decades, there's been a steady growth in the number of new companies registered each year.
So, what does this mean? It simply shows that your ideal customers have more options than ever before. Plus, if you consider that consumers are expecting more and more from brands (great quality and affordable pricing are no longer enough to drive sales), it's clear that a great growth strategy requires effective differentiation tactics.
The good news is that copy does a stellar job of helping your brand stand out from the noise.
By using differentiated value propositions throughout your website (and your online presence), you can effectively carve out a valuable space for your brand, even in competitive markets or when selling innovative and niche products.
Check out how MUD/WTR does it. It promises energy and focus without the jitters, claiming to offer a coffee alternative that tastes good, provides immune support, promotes gut health, and avoids one of the most common side effects of caffeine: anxiety.
Source: mudwtr.com
Final Thoughts
Writing a convincing value proposition doesn't have to be complicated. However, it does necessitate an in-depth understanding of what your target audience wants and needs from your business.
The six strategies outlined in this guide can all help you stand out and inspire conversions. Nonetheless, if you want to get the most out of these tips, ensure you test their performance on your site. That way, you won't just be making general improvements to your web copy. More importantly, you'll learn precisely what kind of language and USPs resonate with your ideal customers, making it super easy to incorporate the same tactics throughout your digital marketing channels.
To stay updated on the latest digital marketing news, check out our blog. If you would like to book an appointment, call 866-208-3095 or contact us here.
