Unique selling propositions, or USPs, are the way companies show how they are better than their competition. In the past, businesses would do this by advertising on television or the radio with the hope of convincing the viewer to choose them. In 2018, the majority of businesses are online. There is serious competition in this area, and companies are employing various SEO tactics to ensure that internet traffic is directed toward their website. However, if customers land on the website, first impressions are crucial. The web page has to instantly grab the users attention.
In order to convey your competitive advantage over the competition, you must, first of all, know your audience. Knowing the goals/hopes and desires of your target audience will make it much easier to design a landing page which will immediately grab their attention. Secondly, you must know your competition so that you can differentiate yourself from them. This can be as simple as imitating the USP of a very successful website. However, in established industries this practice can lead to hundreds of websites that all kind of look the same.
One way that your USP can stand out is to focus on what makes you different from your competition. Differentiation is extremely important on the internet. In a sea of websites claiming to be the best, being different and focusing on a niche has shown to be extremely useful. An example of this is found in the online slots industry. Every website claims to be the best promising that their online slots or roulette tables are in some way better than the next website. By utilizing USP a casino site can establish itself as different, maybe by showing that they give away much more free spins on their slots as compared to the competition.
As previously stated, displaying your USP to potential customers must be almost instant. The internet has countless websites and if the chance arises that a potential customer lands on your site, you must grab their attention instantly, as a customer will decide very quickly whether your site is for them or not. Your USP is expressed through the headline, subhead, benefits, and closing statements displayed on your landing page. Firstly, your headline’s only job is to get the visitor to keep engaging with your message. Staying with our example of online slots brands, mFortune is one of the leading online slots brands that produce their own unique games like Fruit Machine. This USP has served the brand well and has contributed to the continued success of their business.
So then, once you have caught the user’s attention you can show them the benefits of your particular offering. For a potential customer looking for online slot machines, the benefit they could receive can include hassle-free signups or high return to player percentages.
Supporting statements are then used to further increase the chance of engaging the potential customer in your service. This can take the form of a statement of uniqueness backed by a supporting statement to establish credibility. Thousands of users are enjoying the wonderful experience of playing online slots with us daily, what are you waiting for? These are easy ways to encourage users to click, by putting the ball in their court you are encouraging them to make the next move. If your heading, subheading, benefits, and supporting statements serve their intended purpose it is likely that you have secured a new customer.
Social proof is another powerful influencer of human psychology. According to Wishpond, “63% of consumers indicate they are more likely to purchase from a site if it has product ratings and reviews.” Testimonials, data, press awards and seals of trust may be the deciding factor which puts your service over that of your competitors.
Ultimately if you have taken the trouble to set up an online business, invest in SEO and spend all those resources on product development. It would be silly not to make sure your USP displayed on your landing page is as good as it possibly can be. It’s like opening up a 5-star restaurant and not painting the front walls and door, it just doesn’t make sense!
Li-Anne Holsman
Li-Anne is an experienced Copywriter with a demonstrated history of working in the online media industry. Li-Anne considers herself a wordsmith with a wanderlust continual. Ever on a journey to paint the images and landscapes she finds herself in, by using the vibrant colours, tones, nuances and subtle hues that words only can convey. With a career spanning over 12 years of professional writing, Li-anne considers herself to be blessed to be able to continue on with her quest of painting the world with words. Li-Anne has a strong interest in the Digital sphere, finding the place where technology meets practicality and art a constant muse in this digitally-infused world as we know it today.
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