Expressing Value Propositions Correctly: Methods and Examples

Whether people are interested in your product or click the back button depends on the value proposition. You need to test it repeatedly—if the value proposition is correct, your business will grow significantly.

If there is only one piece of advice about value propositions, it is: Test your value proposition.

The less known your company is, the more clearly you need to express your value proposition. Browsing the websites of most companies reveals that missing or weak value propositions are common problems.

What exactly is a value proposition?

A value proposition is a promise of value that can be delivered and is the main reason potential customers choose your product or service.

Simply put, a value proposition is a clear statement that:

• Explains how your product solves customers’ problems or improves their situation,
• Provides specific benefits (quantifiable value),
• Tells target customers why they should buy from you instead of competitors (unique value).

You must ensure that when users land on your homepage, the value proposition is the first thing they see. It should also be present on other key pages of your website.

This is not just for aesthetics, or to please the CEO or copywriters, but to improve customer lifetime value.

It is meant to be read and understood

The value proposition should be easy to understand. It is written for people. It should not look like this:

Revenue-centric marketing automation & sales solutions throughout the entire marketing cycle.

css 复制 编辑

Can you casually explain this sentence to your friends? Would they benefit from it? This is a joke—meaningless jargon like this is very common and must be firmly avoided.

Use the right language

The value proposition should be phrased in the language your customers actually use. It must naturally fit into their vocabulary. To achieve this, you need to know what words your customers use to describe your product and how they benefit from it.

Often, the way developers describe the service differs entirely from how users describe it. Developers need to interview and listen to users to understand how customers speak.

What a value proposition is not

A value proposition is not a slogan or motto. For example:

Be your best self because you deserve it.

mathematica 复制 编辑

Nor is it a positioning statement. For example:

The world’s number one bandage brand, fast wound healing, rapid pain relief.

vbnet 复制 编辑

Positioning is a subset of the value proposition, but they are not the same.

What should a value proposition include

The form of a value proposition typically includes text (headline, subheadline, and a paragraph) and rich media (images, videos, case studies).

There is no fixed formula, but generally it may include:

• Headline: A single sentence that conveys the ultimate value you offer, mentioning the product and/or customer with a clear focus.
• Subheadline or 2–3 sentences: Specifically explain what the product/service is, who it is for, and why they should use it.
• 3 bullet points: List key features or benefits of the product/service.
• Rich media: Images can convey information faster than text. Use images, videos, or case studies to highlight the product/service.

Review your current value proposition by answering these questions:

• What products or services does your company sell?
• What is the ultimate benefit of using them?
• Who is your target audience?
• What makes your product unique?

Organize your answers into headline-paragraph-text-rich media format.

How to create a successful value proposition

The best value propositions are clear: What is it? Who is it for? What does it do?

If the value proposition confuses users, it is wrong. If users need to read large blocks of text to understand your service, it is also wrong. While enough information is critical for conversion, you must first have a clear, attention-grabbing value proposition to attract users.

iNote believes: One of the biggest challenges for businesses is to define a clear value proposition and communicate it effectively.

What makes a good value proposition

• Clear and easy to understand.
• Clearly conveys the specific results users will get by purchasing and using your product/service.
• Clearly explains how it differs from or surpasses competitors.
• Avoids hype (“never-before-seen miracle product”), absolutes (“the best”), and business jargon (“value-added interaction”).
• The audience can understand it within 5 seconds.

Also, most of the time, the company value proposition and the product value proposition are different. Both must be addressed.

How to present the value proposition

iNote’s user research shows:

• The more text (relatively, text covering most of the page), the more quickly it captures users’ attention.
• When more content needs to be read, users spend more time on the value proposition than on other areas of the page.
• The more listed information, the more users remember.
• Information lists and first impressions of page design are very important.

How to create a unique value proposition

One important function of the value proposition is differentiation from competitors. Most people compare 4–5 providers before deciding. Our offering must stand out during this important research phase.

So how can your product or service be unique? Most companies struggle to identify what makes them unique. This requires deep self-reflection and analysis.

If you cannot find something unique, you had better create something. Of course, the uniqueness must be something customers care about. Being unique alone is meaningless (“our bike bearings are blue”).

The key is to be unique in the customer’s mind—not globally. Sales happen in the customer’s mind, not in the marketplace.

Boosting your value proposition

Sometimes, seemingly minor things can influence major decisions. If your product’s core functions are almost the same as competitors, you can win by offering small additional services—these are boosters.

These small value-added services are particularly effective when competing against peers who don’t offer them. Boosters may include:

• Free shipping
• Same-day/next-day delivery
• Coupons
• On-site installation
• Free installation
• Cancel anytime
• Installable on multiple devices
• Hassle-free returns
• Discount offers
• Customization

These small actions cost little but greatly attract buyers.

Testing the value proposition

1. A/B Testing

The best approach is to prepare two (or more, if you have enough traffic) versions and test them. Ideally, test for sales conversion rate (more accurate results), or at least for lead conversion.

2. Pay-per-click advertising

A fast and inexpensive method is using Google AdWords or Baidu Ads. Ads with higher click-through rates are likely better options, though this doesn’t necessarily mean higher sales conversions.

Excellent value proposition examples

• Evernote
• Qiniu Cloud
• 163 Mail
• OneKey

Conclusion

You need a value proposition, and you need to express it on your homepage, product pages, and category pages. If you don’t proactively explain why customers should buy from you, you will lose them.