Get Specific When You Advertise
How many web sites do you see that just scream out: “We give you the best prices” or “Our service is better”? The simple answer is, too many. It’s easy to make a promise like this, but they can be a real turnoff to an aware public who are interested in finding value and need proof that you can truly offer it.

Consumer research has consistently shown that people perceive most businesses as having similar relationships between their pricing and service. They know that there are top of the line suppliers that excel in service and charge higher prices, just as they know that there are cut-rate suppliers with lower prices and lower standards of service.
But they also perceive that the difference in pricing between the two levels isn’t all that great, and that no business will stay around long if its service isn’t at least acceptable. That leaves the important question of how you can stand out from the competition while still trying to communicate your own value proposition.

Tell them what you’re going to give them!
If somebody’s never been a customer of yours previously, your web site has to be very specific in painting a picture of what they’ll find if they buy from you. It’s essential to convey your uniqueness rather than just trying to say “We’ve got good prices and service”.

What is it about your business that will interest a prospect? What will you do for them that nobody else can do? Or, that nobody else is saying they’ll do?

It begins by finding out what your customers and prospects really want, then telling the world that you’ve got it. What’s really important to them that will induce them to purchase from you?

The biggest thing to keep in mind is that your web site has to be about them and not about you. Let me repeat that; “The biggest thing to keep in mind is that your web site has to be about them and not about you.” Be specific about what you’ll do for them – is it better fitting clothes or a smoother running engine? That’s what they really want, and not just bland statements of price and service.

Customize your benefit
Once you’ve identified the basic benefit that they want and that you can provide, augment this with an offer that’s specific to your business. Take a hypothetical situation where a person’s refrigerator has broken down and a replacement is urgently needed.

That person looks on the web and sees two web sites in their area for refrigerator repairs. The first says: Electrical appliance repairs. Great service and great  prices.

The second advertisement says: Broken Down? We Can Fix It Fast! Same-Day Service to Most Areas. We Guarantee Our Work.

It’s obvious that winning awards and vague promises about service and price aren’t nearly as important to somebody without a refrigerator as having it repaired quickly and especially if it’s guaranteed. There’s no question about which web site is going to be the most appealing.
The best way to stand out from the competition is to base your web site on what your customers really want and how you’ll provide it to them. 

Use the words your customers really want to hear. Not puffspeak.

For a free consultation on how our solutions can help you succeed online, contact us at 508-833-9931 

dlfWebgroup is a boston web designer.