Why do your customers buy from you? What motivates people to choose you, to choose your products over the hundreds of alternatives? What makes your company, and your products, better than the rest?
The answer: your value proposition.
If you can perfect your value proposition, you can increase your conversion rate and improve your marketing strategies across many channels. Learning to present the value your company and products deliver in a compelling way is one of the most high-value, wide-reaching marketing activities.
In this article, we’ll cover what makes a great value proposition, how to write a value proposition, as well as look at some unique value proposition examples.
What is a value proposition?
A value proposition is a concise statement that communicates the unique benefits and value a product or service offers to its target customers. It highlights the specific problem it solves, the advantages it provides, and why it is superior to its competitors. A good value proposition helps differentiate a business and attract customers.
A compelling value proposition meets three criteria:
- It’s specific: What are the specific benefits your target customer will receive?
- It’s pain-focused: How will your product fix the customer’s problem or improve their life?
- It’s exclusive: How is it both desirable and exclusive? How well does it highlight your company’s competitive advantage and set you apart from competitors?
Don’t confuse brand slogans, catchphrases, or even a positioning statement with a unique value proposition as they’re different things.
Here’s a visualization that will help you avoid that trap.
Your value proposition should focus on the superpowers that potential customers get, not the product. Rarely is your value proposition the product itself or its features. Instead, it’s the way the brand or product fixes a meaningful pain point, improves the lives of your target audience, and the way it makes them feel (like they have superpowers, for example).
A value proposition should be front and center when a visitor arrives on your site. Although it’s often found above the fold on the homepage, you should be aware of other common entrance points (e.g., a landing page, category pages, blog posts, and product pages).
Even if you manage to create an effective value proposition, it won’t drive sales if it’s tucked away in a dusty corner of your website or absent on high purchase intent pages.
How to write a unique value proposition
- Understand your customer and their voice
- Focus on clarity before creativity
- Emphasize benefits, not hype
Where to begin writing a value proposition statement:
1. Understand your customer and their voice
A good value proposition uses the exact words of your current customers to hook your future customers.
For example, if they were interviewed for a case study, how would your target customers describe your product? How does it improve their lives? How do they describe your company? Why do they choose to associate with your brand?
Interview your customers or send out a survey to better understand how they speak about you, both to other people and to themselves. Pay attention to common words and phrases they use. You can keep track of responses and phrases in a simple Google doc.
Your visitors should see themselves in your value proposition. The language you use plays a big role in shaping their perspective. If you want to go the extra mile, spend some time looking at value proposition examples of your competition What are they doing right? What could they improve?
Take note of how your competition talks to their customers. Sign up for their newsletters and email flows.
2. Focus on clarity before creativity
Above all, you must ensure your value proposition is clear. Sounds obvious, right? Your value proposition needs to serve many purposes, so achieving crystal clarity can be quite difficult.
When evaluating your draft, ensure it answers the following questions:
- What product are you selling?
- Who should buy your product?
- How will buying your product improve the visitor or their life?
- Why should the visitor buy from you and not your competitors?
- When will the value be delivered?
Your value proposition should be relatively short—two or three short sentences, maximum. Every word should improve clarity or make your main selling point more compelling, otherwise it needs to be cut.
3. Emphasize benefits, not hype
How many “World’s Best Coffee” signs would you see in store windows walking down just one busy New York City street? Dozens. Each sign you encounter would make it a little more difficult to believe the previous one.
Hype, which can come in the form of superlatives (“best”) and exaggerations (“world’s best”), can be dangerous that way. Instead, focus on distinct benefits and the concrete value your product delivers.
If you need to use hype to sell your products, it’s a sign that your value proposition is not well defined. Or, perhaps, even that your product is not as valuable as you think. Don’t let the love for your product or service get in the way of viewing your brand objectively.
Value proposition template
Now it’s a matter of combining everything you’ve learned about value propositions to craft one of your own. There’s no reason to complicate the matter; the process can be broken down into just two steps:
- Identify your value proposition
- Communicate your value proposition
1. Identify your value proposition
Before you dig into identifying your value proposition, it’s important to frame your thinking properly.
All great value propositions start with one question: What do I do better than anyone else?
Maybe it’s your customer service, maybe it’s your product design, maybe it’s material quality, maybe it’s price. It can be anything customers find valuable.
A word of caution, though: your company and products are more comparable than you think. Your visitors will certainly be comparing you to your competitors, so beat them to the punch. See how your value proposition stacks up against the promises of your top competitors. What will set you apart in the minds of your visitors?
Note that small values like free shipping, money-back guarantees and same-day delivery can be useful conversion tools, but are secondary to your unique selling proposition.
If your answer to “What do I do better than anyone else?” is “free shipping,” you’re not digging deep enough. That’s something any store can copy and paste, meaning it’s not a defensible value proposition. Often, identifying your value proposition requires quite a bit of thought and research (customer interviews, for example).
Please, promote those free post-purchase gifts and shipping guarantees alongside your value proposition. You will likely capture people on the fence. But that’s just a bandage if the core value proposition isn’t unique or compelling.
2. Communicate your value proposition
Distill what you do better than anyone else into a single sentence and display it prominently. You want to ensure this is what grabs attention first.
Just like an article headline, many people will read the single sentence value proposition and move on. If they like it, they might read a brief elaboration or just continue on to the next step. If they don’t like it, they’ll often just go ahead and leave.
That’s a lot of pressure on just one sentence, so you want to make sure you’re getting it right. That is, you want to make sure it’s clear and relevant.
It’s a useful exercise to spend the time coming up with 10–15 variations of your initial value proposition.
Now, you want to know which one is the most unquestionably clear. A simple five-second test can help you with that. In a five-second test, people see your site (with your value proposition) for five seconds and then answer questions about what they saw. What do they remember? What do they think your site does? What do they think your product does?
Let’s look at some examples of value proposition.
If you find people can’t answer the questions correctly, you have a clarity issue. A common clarity problem? Hiding the value. Here’s an example from Best Buy:
“TV & Home Theatre” is prioritized visually here, but the value proposition is hidden below.
Here’s the same problem on Tiffany & Co.:
And on Topshop:
You get the idea. Make sure your value proposition is as clear as possible. The first step? Visually prioritizing your value proposition. Again, don’t be afraid to dig through additional value proposition examples for inspiration.
The five-second test is just one way to test your value proposition. You can also run on-site A/B tests to figure out which of your 10–15 variations is most effective. Short of that, running paid Facebook ads to test the persuasion power of each of the variations is another option, especially if you have a low traffic site.
Strong value proposition examples
The best way to get a feel for how value propositions work and how to get them right is to look at some great proposition examples.
1. BustedTees
BustedTees uses “BustedTees brings you the highest quality graphic tees on the net” as its homepage value proposition.
In this case, it’s betting on the quality of its production materials and designs. The value proposition is small but centered at the top of the page.
The site appears to only display the value proposition to first-time visitors, who are more likely to be unfamiliar.
Note how the value proposition is followed quickly by a relevant call to action. “Hey, we have high quality graphic tees. Want to shop our bestselling graphic tees?” If your value proposition does its job, it motivates and inspires action, so make it easy for visitors to take that action.
2. Novo Watch
Novo Watch promises to deliver “The world’s most storied timepieces.”
Instantly, you know a watch from Novo Watch is going to be different and hold more value than one from its competitors. The best value propositions are unique and undeniably different.
When you arrive on the site, the value proposition is the largest copy on the page, but you’ll also find the value proposition reiterated on the product pages.
The continuity from the homepage to the product page is immediately evident. Phrases like “manually wound timepiece” and “132 year old train track” reinforce the value proposition, creating a clear message match.
3. Studio Neat
Studio Neat creates simple products that solve common, everyday problems. That value proposition and brand ethos is communicated throughout, even though it’s not explicitly stated on the homepage.
Simple products that deliver simple but desirable value. “Tripod mount for smartphones,” “Wood docks for Apple stuff,” “Wide-grip stylus,” “Make and store simple syrup,” etc.
The same theme is continued on product pages using customer voice and language.
No exaggerations, no complex product details. “On your nightstand or at your desk, it’s nice to have a designated spot to charge your devices.” Tell me that sentence doesn’t read like a customer wrote it himself.
While taking notes on value proposition examples is a good start, it’s important to go one step further.
4 important types of value propositions
- Your company value proposition
- Your homepage value proposition
- Your category value propositions
- Your product value propositions
In ecommerce, your value proposition is more than just the big, bold heading on your homepage. There are four distinct types of value propositions you should know about when optimizing your store.
1. Your company value proposition
Did you know there’s a difference between the value proposition of your company and products?
Take Studio Neat for example. The value proposition for its company would be something like this: “Simple products that solve simple problems.” The value proposition for its Material Dock is: “It’s nice to have a designated spot to charge your devices.” Now, you can see and feel the company value proposition in the product value proposition, but it’s important to see the distinction.
2. Your homepage value proposition
This is the type of value proposition you’re most familiar with. It’s the big, bold heading on your homepage. Just think back to the Novo Watch value proposition example above.
Your homepage value proposition will depend on the type of store you run. For example, if you have a small number of products, your homepage value proposition might be more product-focused. If you have a wide range of products, your homepage value proposition might be more company- or brand-focused.
Novo Watch’s homepage value proposition is product-focused, for example: We build the world’s most storied timepieces.
Novo has a relatively small number of products and is specifically focused on watches. If it were to introduce a line of handcrafted pens made from pieces of history and a line of handcrafted wallets made from pieces of history, how might their homepage value proposition need to change?
3. Your category value propositions
Don’t overlook the need for a value prop on your category pages. Why? Just look at the search engine results page (SERP) for “women’s jeans.”
First, you’ll notice that all of these pages are category pages.
Second, many of the page descriptions are value propositions in disguise. Abercrombie & Fitch has variety, the perfect fit for everyone. Bootlegger’s black jeans won’t fade. Old Navy jeans will make you look polished, even on a casual day.
When you click through to Abercrombie & Fitch, for example, you’ll see the value proposition reiterated in the on-site copy.
High rise, low rise, a variety of washes, “Fit for your story.” All of these triggers help reinforce the value proposition. As you can see, though, it’s still quite uncommon to find a clear and succinct value proposition on a category page.
With so much competition among category pages, especially on SERPs, that’s a huge missed opportunity that you can step up and capitalize on. Ask yourself what each category of products on your site promises that’s specific, pain-focused, and exclusive.
4. Your product value propositions
A product value proposition goes, you guessed it, on your product page. Each product within each category needs a specific value proposition. Think back to the Neat Studio Material Dock example above.
Here’s another great product value proposition example from Studio Neat.
Anyone who has an Apple TV knows that losing that tiny remote is a common occurrence. Instead of having to tear the couch apart a couple times a day, buy Studio Neat’s Apple TV Remote Stand. “You know you’re going to lose it. You won’t if you buy this.”
Simple, right? Perfect, because that’s Studio Neat’s company value prop.
By now, you’re starting to see how the value propositions trickle into and influence one another. Start with the company value proposition, then the homepage value proposition, then category value propositions, then product value propositions.
Value propositions help you connect with target customers
Your value proposition is a promise to your future customers. If that promise is specific, pain-focused and exclusive, you will turn future customers into paying customers.
Every entrepreneur believes their company and products are valuable. That’s why it’s so easy to overlook the way that value is communicated to strangers.
Spend the time to perfect your promise. It’s not just a branding exercise, it’s a marketing exercise that will pay off over and over and over again.
Value proposition FAQ
What is a value proposition and example?
Value proposition is a statement that describes the value that a company or product offers to the customer. It answers the question “why should the customer buy our product or service?” It includes an explanation of the benefits the customer will receive and why the company is the best choice for them. It should be unique, memorable and appealing to the target market.
An example of a value proposition is Allbirds. Their value proposition is “the world’s most comfortable shoes, flats, and clothing made with natural materials like merino wool and eucalyptus.” It shows the brand’s focus on the eco-friendly aspect of their products, along with comfort and style.
What are the 3 elements of value proposition?
- Unique selling proposition (USP): Your USP should clearly communicate what makes your product or service different from your competitors and why customers should choose you.
- Benefits: A benefit is something that an organization provides to its customers that they can’t get elsewhere. Benefits should be specific, measurable, and tangible.
- Cost: Cost is a major factor when it comes to making a purchase decision. Customers want to know that they’re getting value for their money, so it’s important to highlight how much your product or service costs.
What is the Value Proposition Canvas?
Developed by Alex Osterwalder, the Value Proposition Canvas is a business tool to help you understand your customers’ needs and tailor your products accordingly. It focuses on aligning what you offer with what matters to your customers.
What is Nike’s value proposition?
Nike’s value proposition goes beyond selling athletic wear. It’s a combination of innovation and performance, accessibility to professional athletes and casual exercisers, and inspiration and motivation, hence the brands famous “Just Do It” slogan.
