Ecommerce Development
Ecommerce - The science of selling online Part II
What is it that people really buy?
THE ONLY THINGS PEOPLE BUY ARE…..BENEFITS! BENEFITS! BENEFITS!
A BENEFIT IS NOT WHAT YOUR PRODUCT IS, NOR WHAT IT IS MADE OF…A BENEFIT IS WHAT YOUR PRODUCT CAN DO FOR THE CLIENT THAT IS IMPORTANT TO THEM.
Here are some examples:
Product: Prom Dress.
Benefit: You will look and feel glamorous…so the home page copy might read……
- “Look and Feel Glamorous!”
- “BE THE ENVY OF YOUR GRADUATING YEAR”
Product: Domestic Cleaning Services.
Benefit: We do the work-you get the enjoyment…so the home page copy might read…..
- “Relax and Enjoy Life”
Product: Financial Planning Services.
Benefit: (Have to visit our office) No fee, comprehensive financial analysis…..home page copy…..
- “The cost is ours…The professional guidance is yours!”
A product will normally have multiple benefits. It is your responsibility to know them all.
While a product’s physical features remain unchanged, the benefits can vary according to how a customer uses it.
Example: The benefit of a mobile telephone to a salesperson could be to respond to customer enquiries without delay; to maximize business opportunities. To a stay at home mother it might be the security of being able to be contacted wherever she is.
To simply list the benefit as being ‘the ability to communicate wherever you are’, could fail to capture the attention of potential clients.
Listing a product’s features or functions may not describe the benefit.
Example: “Our shirts are made of pure Italian silk”…..so what?
Perhaps it would be better expressed: “Pure Italian silk…Fashion, Comfort and Long Life”
Example: “Our moisturizers contain the exotic skin softeners”…again, so what?
Better description: “Exotic skin softeners promote anti ageing.”
DO NOT ASSUME THAT THE CUSTOMER CAN WORK OUT THE BENEFIT
The examples are very basic. They are included simply to make the point that you MUST SELL the BENEFITS of your product or service.
TO MAXIMIZE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR MORE ONLINE BUSINESS
Review your website again with this (emphasizing benefits) in mind. If you need assistance in determining the major benefits, then seek the services of a reputable Marketing Consultant. They know how to take you through a Product/Benefit Analysis.
You may want to think about contracting the services of an organization that combines both search engine optimization and online marketing services. This way they can combine the product/benefit analysis with search engine optimization.
THE UNFAIR ADVANTAGE-YOUR UNIQUE SELLING PROPOSITION!
Now that you are focused on ‘benefits’ ask yourself the following question?
“Do I have, or can I create, a situation which cannot be matched by my competition?”
Answer “Yes”-you have an ‘unfair advantage’/your ‘unique selling proposition’.
It is worth spending time on developing your ‘unique selling proposition’ (usp).
If you have a monopoly, then this is arguably the best usp of all. Just remember that monopolies do not last forever.
A USP is more than just the benefits of your product or service. It is the combination of (not necessarily limited to) the following:
Product Benefits
- Pricing
- Special Offers
- Terms of Payment
- Money Back Guarantee
- Availability
- Delivery
- Installation
- Product Support/Maintenance
- Proof of Claims/Reference Sites/Legitimate Article
With a USP, you maximize the following reaction from those who visit your website is:
- I WILL DO BUSINESS WITH THIS COMPANY…NOW!
- I WILL DO BUSINESS WITH THIS COMPANY WHEN I AM READY TO BUY(The reactions you want when your website is geared to online selling)
- I WILL TELEPHONE/VISIT THIS COMPANY NOW!
- I WILL TELEPHONE/VISIT THIS COMPANY WHEN I AM READY TO BUY. (The reactions you want when your website is geared to online influence)
Related Posts
- Why People Buy (Your product solves a problem) - By Leo Talbot
- Why people buy - The lifestyle factor - By Leo Talbot
- Defining Selling - By Leo Talbot