Even if your market is full of stiff competition, a unique value proposition (UVP) is an opportunity to get your business above your rivals. A strong UVP (also known as a unique selling proposition) demonstrates that you understand their problems and can offer a uniquely effective solution to your customers.
Website visitors become customers when they see that your product or service targets their needs better than the competition’s solution. A UVP tells readers quickly and clearly why your product is the best choice for them.
It’s catchy but not a tagline. It shows off your company’s strengths but doesn’t sound like a gimmick. It walks the reader past their problem and straight to the solution you offer.
When you get your UVP right, it works hard for you. It’s worth spending some time crafting an excellent UVP because when it’s done right, it makes both marketing and sales easier.
Website visitors become customers when they see that your product or service targets their needs better than the competition’s solution. A UVP tells readers quickly and clearly why your product is the best choice for them.
It’s catchy but not a tagline. It shows off your company’s strengths but doesn’t sound like a gimmick. It walks the reader past their problem and straight to the solution you offer.
When you get your UVP right, it works hard for you. It’s worth spending some time crafting an excellent UVP because when it’s done right, it makes both marketing and sales easier.
What are the benefits of writing a unique value proposition?
An easy-to-understand UVP delivers the right customers to you, so your chances of converting a lead to a sale are much higher. Potential customers who read your UVP know what you do and why your product or approach is right for them. They are visiting your website because they want to answer the question: which company/product is the best fit for me? Your UVP should provide a quick and easy answer for them.
A UVP can help filter out the wrong customers, too. A potential customer who is a bad fit for your product or service will know immediately from your UVP that you will not meet their needs.
By removing the “bad fit” customers from the conversation, you gain higher-quality leads. Eventually, those high-quality leads become successful sales and long-lasting customer relationships. You’ve not wasted time on customers that never needed your product in the first place and can instead focus on growing the leads that will convert to satisfied clients.
When done right, a UVP also becomes the cornerstone of your marketing campaigns. It informs all of your messaging, so your brand voice is consistent. It builds confidence within your sales team because they know the unique benefit of what they’re selling.
Your UVP creates a baseline for the clear communication of your company’s offering. Like a beacon, your customers, marketing team, and sales team can look to your UVP to define your valuable niche in the market.
Customers will pay higher prices when you can demonstrate why your product is of higher value. A strong UVP supports that by telling customers why your product is distinctly valuable. This “product differentiation” shows them that you can meet their needs better than your competitors, and they are happy to pay more for your services.
Writing a compelling UVP doesn’t happen without a deep understanding of your customer and your niche in the market. These three steps will help you write a UVP that resonates with your customers.
3 examples of effective UVPs used on business websites
These companies have created UVPs that clearly communicate the problems they solve for their customers. Using the three steps above, you can create your own version of these great examples for your website.
Shopify.com
Shopify.com
Here Shopify uses a catchy headline, yet also sends a clear message of growing customers. They follow the headline with one sentence that says exactly what the product does for customers, and their image shows how slick even a small business can look on their platform.
MailChimp.com
In this headline, MailChimp immediately addresses why customers would be interested in their product: to grow their business with email marketing. The following sentence expands on their headline’s claim with more information while also addressing further pain points: that MailChimp is advanced yet easy-to-use.
Xero.com
In this headline, Xero explains what it is (accounting software) and the benefit / sales point for a healthy business. The following sentence expands on their headline’s claim with a less salesy explanation and more straight to the point explanation: manage your finances in real time with Xero accounting software. This is a great UVP and makes it very easy for anyone coming to the website to understand who they are and what they offer.
Are you looking to write an effective UVP?
Here are 3 steps to writing a unique value proposition.
1. Research your ideal customer
Understanding your customer’s pain points is essential to writing a UVP that converts website visitors to customers. A customer’s pain points have driven them to your website, and it’s the UVP’s job to articulate how your company will solve them better than the competition.
If you’re unsure of your customer’s pain points, take yourself through the simple exercise of describing your customer and exploring why they have landed on your website. These are called customer personas, also known as customer avatars, and they help you to get inside the mind of your customer. By listing their goals and their values, you can overcome any potential objections to buying your product. You can download free worksheets from Digital Marketer here to take you through this exercise.
When you understand your target audience, you can write a UVP that addresses their pain points and hesitations. Your offering then becomes more than just a product - it’s the answer to their problems.
If you’re unsure of your customer’s pain points, take yourself through the simple exercise of describing your customer and exploring why they have landed on your website. These are called customer personas, also known as customer avatars, and they help you to get inside the mind of your customer. By listing their goals and their values, you can overcome any potential objections to buying your product. You can download free worksheets from Digital Marketer here to take you through this exercise.
When you understand your target audience, you can write a UVP that addresses their pain points and hesitations. Your offering then becomes more than just a product - it’s the answer to their problems.
2. Explore your true value
Writing a compelling UVP is actually an exercise in knowing your own company, too. Take some time to reflect on your company’s offering from all angles - in relation to your customers, the market, and your competition’s positioning - and make a list of the features that make your offering unique. Spend some time examining the competition, understanding their UVPs, and noting where your product fills a market niche.
Your UVP may include features that set apart your product, or your company, or both. It may even be as simple as offering incentives like "free shipping" or "no long-term contracts" that are attractive to your customer. Even if your product is very similar to the competition, you can stand out by communicating your product’s benefits more clearly to your customer.
Your UVP may include features that set apart your product, or your company, or both. It may even be as simple as offering incentives like "free shipping" or "no long-term contracts" that are attractive to your customer. Even if your product is very similar to the competition, you can stand out by communicating your product’s benefits more clearly to your customer.
3. Write a clear, concise UVP
If your UVP isn’t obvious and easy to understand, your customer will lose interest and move on to someone else. While a UVP isn’t a tagline or a slogan, it should be concise and get straight to the point.
Grab customers' attention with a simple headline. Avoid hyperbole in your language. Sweeping claims that your product is “the best in the nation” are almost impossible to prove, and they’ll sound like white noise to the customer. Aim for simple language that speaks directly to the individual customer. Promising to “make life easier” is nice, but not very specific. State precisely what your business does to solve their problem.
The one or two sentences following your headline should clearly and concisely elaborate on your headline. Avoid jargon, as it is the death of sales.
Shopify recommends borrowing language from your current customers to attract future customers. Take inspiration from customer testimonials, or ask for survey feedback from some of your loyal buyers. Look for common words they use to describe your business and your product, then integrate those words or phrases into your UVP. The language your customers use will resonate with other customers like them. They’ll see their pain points reflected and their problems solved by your product.
Remember that your language should be clear but also inviting and engaging. Again, avoid jargon. Use language that positions your company as professional yet friendly, reliable and approachable. Complete the pitch with a hero image that mirrors the statements you’ve made in your UVP. Avoid stock images if possible.
Grab customers' attention with a simple headline. Avoid hyperbole in your language. Sweeping claims that your product is “the best in the nation” are almost impossible to prove, and they’ll sound like white noise to the customer. Aim for simple language that speaks directly to the individual customer. Promising to “make life easier” is nice, but not very specific. State precisely what your business does to solve their problem.
The one or two sentences following your headline should clearly and concisely elaborate on your headline. Avoid jargon, as it is the death of sales.
Shopify recommends borrowing language from your current customers to attract future customers. Take inspiration from customer testimonials, or ask for survey feedback from some of your loyal buyers. Look for common words they use to describe your business and your product, then integrate those words or phrases into your UVP. The language your customers use will resonate with other customers like them. They’ll see their pain points reflected and their problems solved by your product.
Remember that your language should be clear but also inviting and engaging. Again, avoid jargon. Use language that positions your company as professional yet friendly, reliable and approachable. Complete the pitch with a hero image that mirrors the statements you’ve made in your UVP. Avoid stock images if possible.
Design Box can craft an unforgettable UVP for your business
We’ve been helping businesses throughout the UK increase profits through online strategies for over a decade, and we’re here for the long-term growth of your company. If your looking to get content writing services for your website or business why not get in touch with us? Our team is always happy to help.
Give us a call on 01702 416 431 or email us at info@designbox.co.uk to craft a compelling UVP and attract more of the customers you love to work with.
