In order to be successful in business, you’ve got to stand out. You need to bring something to the table that no one else can, and –– most importantly –– you have to tell people about it. Developing the most effective product or service on the market won’t do your company any good if you’re unable to accurately convey why your leads should do business with you. That’s one reason why many businesses are beginning to prominently feature value propositions on their websites –– even on their homepages in some instances. A value proposition is a brief statement that sums up (1) how a product solves a problem, (2) the benefits that product provides, and (3) why that product is superior to the competition. Striking the right balance in a value proposition can be difficult, though. Write content that’s overly detailed you’ll lose your readers’ attention; write something too broad and your reader won’t understand what your product does. Here then are a few value proposition examples that run the gamut –– so you can see how to form one that works for your company:
Big-Company Basics
Massive companies tend not to have value propositions on their homepages –– mostly because they don’t need one. A value proposition explains why a product is valuable, after all. And if your customer base already understands what’s unique about your product, you don’t need to craft a value proposition. As such, brands like Coca-Cola and Nike don’t even bother with value propositions. Spotify utilizes a tagline instead (“Go Premium. Be Happy.”). While Hulu employs a very basic value proposition on their homepage.
Getting Lost in the Details
Conversely, offering too many solutions can overwhelm new visitors to your site. Such is the case with a website like this one. This company is a software developer that specializes in IT and internal networks. However, their homepage is a bit overwhelming. It displays all the different products they have to offer and lists key features that accompany each. What’s more, it also includes a “What Makes Us Different?” section.
While this website certainly provides a lot of information, nothing about it particularly works as a value proposition. For one, it’s a lot to take in. If you stumbled across this website by accident, it would take you some time to identify what the company actually does. Furthermore, the information given isn’t easily digestible, and (importantly) it’s not focused on benefits and advantages; you won’t find phrases like “improved ROI,” “increased security,” or “optimized performance.” Instead, you’ll see descriptions of the products, but not necessarily why your business should purchase them. Remember, even if a company provides a complex service, a value proposition needs to be simple.
Good Value Proposition Examples
We’ll end this piece on a high note and focus on two well-constructed value propositions from Kabbage and SkyBell. Here is Kabbage’s homepage. They offer small business loans, and their value proposition is fantastic because it highlights their company’s worthwhile slighting their competitors at the same time. Kabbage shows just how easy their loan application process is, and contrasts it with how difficult it is for small businesses to deal with banks. Fantastic stuff.
SkyBell on the other hand is a fine example of a minimalist value proposition. SkyBell is a WiFi service that connects a person’s doorbell activity to their cell phone –– so they can see who’s at their door when not at home. And their succinctly written value proposition is bolstered by a series of shifting pictures illustrating the kind of people you might want to see on your front porch while you’re away. The images alternate between a delivery guy, a little girl, and (menacingly) a bearded man in sunglasses and dark jacket. It’s subtle and powerful all at once.
Contact the Pros
No detail is too small to ignore when forming a marketing concept. From ad creation to landing pages, to the value proposition on your site, it’s critical for a business to prioritize their digital content. Contact the Agile & Co. team and let us help you implement the best strategies for your company. We have the experience and the skills to make sure your website works on every level. Plus, to get a firsthand glimpse at how we can transform your site into a lead-generation machine, check out our free eBook here
