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WEBSITE USEFULNESS: BE DISTINCT

Stand Out From the Crowd - Don't Offer the Same Product or Information

You should never overlook your Unique Selling Proposition (USP) concept. USP is a distinctive benefit only you can provide to your customers.

USP concept is credited to Rosser Reeves (chairman of the Ted Bates & Co. advertising agency), and his definition of USP is still valid:

• propose a specified benefit to a customer if he buys a product

• the proposition must be unique - competitors cannot offer it or haven't underline it in their offer

• the proposition must be so persuasive that it motivates users to act.

USP based copywriting is focused on the feature or benefit that makes your product or service "different" from the competition.

DEVELOP A WINNING USP

Your ultimate goal is to develop your Unique Selling Proposition so that you would stand out from the crowd of competitors, and it would be weird if potential customers do business with anyone but you. Therefore you need to:

• identify if and which of your target audience's needs are unfulfilled within your line of work
• investigate your competition and determine what they are missing, and you can do better.
• brainstorm the answers to these questions:
  • What makes you different to your competitors?
  • Why should users purchase or inform themselves from you instead of your competition?
  • What advantage or benefit do you provide to them for choosing you over your competitors?

These answers would represent your Unique Selling Proposition, which must be clearly stated on your website. And not just on your website, but in every form of marketing you perform.

You can choose one or multiple USPs, but to achieve maximum impact your USP must be offered as a benefit. And you MUST fulfill what you promise.

TURN FEATURES INTO BENEFITS

Focus on your product and its features. Your product probably has many useful features. But, benefits sell, features don't. Consider your product or service related to what it does for the targeted users - benefits it delivers and problems it solves - and not related to what it is. Unique benefit that points to some special feature, and not just the description of your product or service, defines your offer.

You need to find significant features in your products and services, turn them into benefits, and communicate the benefits to your users. The easiest way to transform a feature into a benefit is to ask: "What's in it for the user?" According to Herman Holtz, there are three important issues you should pay close attention to:

• determine the most motivating benefit
• make it an emotional benefit
• make it a promise, not an announcement.
  

Give your target audience compelling reason to favor your product or service over competing ones!

User Oriented Design & Ethical Website Marketing Strategies by Distinctia, 2006