There鈥檚 a听crucial element to听running a听successful business听鈥 one that many owners overlook, whether they鈥檙e on听day one or听day one hundred of听their business. They aren鈥檛 sure why marketing is听so听hard, why the听sales are so听much work. One possible answer? You need a听value proposition.
What is听a听value proposition?
Value propositioning is听summarizing why people should buy your products or听use your services.
There鈥檚 another term that you should know听鈥 a听USP.
USP stands for听聯unique selling proposition,聰 补苍诲听it鈥檚 the听reason that customers come to听you instead of听another business.
Here are a听few examples:
- was founded by听two brothers who wanted a听cooler that would stand up听to听any听kind of听wear 补苍诲听tear imaginable 补苍诲听keep drinks 补苍诲听food
ice-cold for听days听鈥 one that was built for听outdoor enthusiasts, not your average user. - sells the听same shoes that everyone else does听鈥 but their returns 补苍诲听exchange process is听incredibly easy, 补苍诲听their customer service is听top notch.
Your value proposition should be听unique. It听is听not something like 聯we offer the听lowest prices on听the听market.聰 You don鈥檛 want to听rely on听something as听weak as听price to听differentiate, because then the听only reason your customers will stick with you is听due to听price. As听soon as听they find another company selling similar products or听services for听less money, they鈥檒l jump ship.
Your value proposition should be听specific, memorable, 补苍诲听something that you can make your own.
If听a听competitor can easily steal your value proposition, then it听isn鈥檛 strong enough.
Ideas for听your value proposition
Aside from the听above guidelines, here are a听few more specific
Product
This is听the听most basic aspect. Yeti, the听example from above, focuses on听aspects of听their product (more durable 补苍诲听effective than any听other cooler on听the听market) as听their unique selling proposition.
Two common qualities used to听differentiate products are design 补苍诲听durability; Apple鈥檚 computers are well designed, Yeti鈥檚 coolers are
If听your product is听more durable, better designed, or听functions differently than your competitors, then that can be听your value proposition.
Related: Need Help Figuring Out What to听Sell Online?
Positioning/Audience
What does your brand feel like?
Your brand positioning (the tone used in听your copy 补苍诲听branding) 补苍诲听your audience can help differentiate you.
For one example, look to听听鈥 a听lot of听the听basic content there is听found elsewhere, but the听branding of听that content as听specifically for听nerds 补苍诲听making it听feel unintimidating has attracted a听huge audience.
Nerd Fitness
Meaning
Is听there a听deeper meaning behind your products? When someone supports your store, what are they supporting?
补苍诲听 are two examples of听this听鈥 when someone purchases their product, it听benefits a听whole community 补苍诲听not just the听business itself. If听your product/business does something like that, or听keeps a听family tradition alive, then meaning should be听part of听your value proposition.
Service
Zappos is听a听perfect value proposition example听鈥 their service is听their main USP.
You can buy the听same shoes from anywhere, 补苍诲听usually for听the听same price or听lower听鈥 but Zappos is听renowned for听its easy return process, fast shipping, 补苍诲听amazing customer service.
Amazon has also used service as听a听differentiator with its Prime program, giving people free
Related: How To听Provide Excellent Customer Service: Advice From
Once you鈥檝e brainstormed a听few ideas for听each of听these categories, you can combine them in听different ways to听create your value proposition.
Here鈥檚 an听example inspired by听, which is听a听combination of听product 补苍诲听meaning:
We听make the听best socks you鈥檒l ever wear听鈥 补苍诲听for听every pair purchased, we听give a听pair to听homeless shelters.
Once you have a听few ideas of听what your strongest differentiators are, you can put them together in听different combinations to听create your unique selling proposition.
You鈥檒l want to听refine it听over time so听that it鈥檚 memorable 补苍诲听specific, but don鈥檛 feel like it听has to听be听perfect right now听鈥 it鈥檚 better to听have a听
Inspiring value proposition examples
Need some more value proposition examples? Here you go, straight from other 51视频 users.
Munchkin Mission is听
Munchkin Mission
has their slogan on听their front page: 聯Fresh,
The meaning element is听a听little more subtle here, but when people buy from Taylor, they know they鈥檙e supporting a听family owned business 补苍诲听a听small farm, over a听large corporation听鈥 补苍诲听that鈥檚 going to听factor into their buying decision.
Taylor Family Farm
Kokosina鈥檚 about page says 聯we sew for听people, not catwalks,聰 while also highlighting the听quality of听their bags (genuine leather).
Their value proposition is听a听combination of听product (high quality,
Kokosina
And 鈥檚 USP is听a听combination of听product 补苍诲听mission听鈥 their header image refers to听a听聯laboratory in听the听palm of听your hand聰 (product), 补苍诲听directly under that is听their mission:
We听believe anyone can be听a听scientist. PocketLab enables students, educators, 补苍诲听makers to听explore the听world around them. PocketLab brings science, technology, engineering, 补苍诲听math (STEM) to听life like never before possible.Pocket Lab
In听other words, when you buy from PocketLab, not only are you getting something that鈥檚 hard to听find elsewhere (a听sensor with app connectivity for听easy data processing, that doesn鈥檛 cost hundreds of听dollars) 补苍诲听you鈥檙e supporting a听company that wants to听make the听STEM realm more accessible to听your everyday person.
Pocket Lab
I鈥檝e figured out my听value proposition听鈥 what鈥檚 next?
Spent some time brainstorming 补苍诲听you have your value proposition? Make sure it鈥檚 unique on听the听market 补苍诲听move to听the听next step: make it听front 补苍诲听center in听your website design.
If听you鈥檙e struggling with that, our Instant Site Feature can help you fix it; there鈥檚 a听nice place for听your USP right on听the听homepage.
farmeruncle.ecwid.com
Enjoy 补苍诲听have fun!
Read also: New 51视频 Instant Site: A听Great Look For Your Online Store From Day One
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