Not enough clicks and sales? Fix that with a USP (and get more customers ready to buy)

This article explains what a USP (Unique Selling Proposition) is, why it is a MUST if you don’t want to waste your marketing dollars, and gets you started on creating one that will get more clicks and costumes:

How online shoppers decide which link to click on and which business to choose
3 famous USP examples
What a compelling Unique Selling Proposition can do for your business
How to craft your USP so that your business will stand out from the crowd (and get you more clicks and sales)

Does this sound familiar?

Even if you have invested in a beautiful, fast loading, mobile-friendly website ..

Even you have invested in SEO, and now when someone searches for what you offer, you are in the page 1 results that Google shows ..

Even if you have made sure that your Rating and Reviews are at least as good as your competition ..

And even if you have invested in Google and Facebook ads, bringing visitors to your website ..

If you have not made it instantly obvious why your ideal customer should choose you over your competitors, you are missing out on many clicks to your website and worse, your sales increase may not cover your investment.

Ouch !

This is where a USP (Unique Selling Proposition or Unique Selling Point) lets your ideal customer know how your product or brand is different and better than your competitors, in just seconds.

How online shoppers decide which link to click on and which business to choose

Your ideal customer likely shops online like this.

They search Google for the product/service they want to buy.

They quickly scan Google’s page 1 search results for which listings seem to be a possible good fit.

Usually, there will be several promising listings that have similar Rating+Reviews, and are in the right location.

So how do they decide which listings to click on so they can learn more at their website?

Often it will be those that are somehow unique compared to the others.

Imagine that you are shopping for an HVAC repair firm

Note how one firm stands out because they are Google Guaranteed. Another because they are 24/7.

Another has same day service. However, the last one is just a “me too” and probably will not get anywhere near the clicks that the others are getting.

Once they have decided which of the search listings sound interesting, they will then take a quick look at just those websites to choose which company they want to do business with.

First impressions are critical and are made in just seconds.

Anything glaring and they will quickly get removed from your ideal customer’s short list. There are endless reasons why, in just seconds, a business will be ruled out eg.

the business doesn’t offer exactly what the shopper is looking for
the website is unprofessional, confusing, can’t be reached conveniently with questions
no secure certificate (https://)
slow to load
looks terrible on mobile devices
and many more

Of the businesses that remain on the short list, chances are that your ideal customer will favor those that stand out from the crowd by doing or offering something uniquely different and/or better.

In the next image, you can see instantly that ASAP Checks offers bank quality checks without those dreaded bank prices or slow turnaround time. Without having to scroll or navigate the website.

Here’s another example. Compare the home pages of these two legal firms. The first is just another lawyer, nothing special evident. The second is promising peace of mind as the very first impression on arrival at their site. Which one would you have already formed a favorable impression about?

3 famous USP examples

Domino’s Pizza “We GUARANTEE – Fresh hot pizza, delivered in 30 minutes or less or it’s FREE!”

Fedex: “When it absolutely, positively has to be there overnight.”

Rolls Royce: “At 60 miles an hour the loudest noise in the new Rolls-Royce comes from the electric clock”

What a compelling Unique Selling Proposition can do for your business

Beat the Competition in the Industry as Strategic Concept 3D Illustration Render

There are 5 main advantages you get when you recognize the USP of your business and use it in the right way.

Better Marketing and positioning – Having a clearly defined USP for your business makes marketing and positioning easier for you. Instead of trying to out score your competition in every aspect, you can focus on this one aspect that makes your business unique in order to get the attention and interest of your ideal customer.
Clear Distinction – A USP allows you to stand out from the competition. It differentiates your business clearly in the mind of potential customers. Which means that you are creating brand recognition. If you don’t have a USP then mostly it just becomes a question of who can offer the best price. And this is a battle don’t you don’t want to fight because there is always going to be someone out there who is going to offer the customers a better price. Giving potential customers a reason to buy your products or services in the form of a USP is the better option.
More Revenue – A USP in its simplest form is a compelling reason for people to buy your products or services. You’re answering the question: Why us? There are obviously going to be people who will see their needs and demands fulfilled by your USP and your sales should increase as a result.
Loyalty – If your USP resonates with a client and they do business with you then there is an outstanding chance of developing customer loyalty. Since they have a specific need when buying a product that you are fulfilling, chances are that they will come back to you when a future need arises. This is often not the case when all you have going for you is a better price than the competition.
Easier selling – Let’s say that a potential customer inquires about your product or service. This is your chance to show them the value that your product is going to add to their life. If you start listing all the generic features and specifications, then there is not a big chance of converting the potential customer since every other business might have done the same thing. But if you focus on your USP then you put yourself in a better position to make a sale. A USP makes selling easier for you since it focuses on what is unique about your business. If someone inquires about your products or services telling them about your USP gives you a potent strategy to convert them

How to craft your USP so that your business will stand out from the crowd (and get you more clicks and sales)

Every business has one or more USP’s but not every business recognizes it. Here is how you can identify and develop your own USP:

List the things that are great about your products or services.
Compare your list to your competition. Do a Google search for the product/service you offer and see what your competitors are offering (both on the Google search results and on their websites) .. look for what you do uniquely different and/or better.
What is the benefit that your products or services are going to provide to potential customers?
What is your specialization?
Is there a great problem that your product or service can solve for potential customers?
Is there a void in the market that your products or services are filling?

Once you have the answer to each of these questions, the next step is to refine and choose a USP that will work the best. Here are some things to consider:

Your USP has to be short and easy to understand. It should be like a bullet, direct and impactful.
It can focus on a service pledge or some sort of guarantee that will entice the potential customer.
If your business involves delivering goods or products, then focusing on speed can also work.
It has to be believable.
Your USP can be an extraordinary promise to potential customers.

Shopify has a very helpful recommendation to help with distilling and prioritizing what you listed in the previous steps .. write it out as:

[YOUR BRAND] offers [PRODUCT/SERVICE] for [TARGET MARKET] to [VALUE PROPOSITION].

Unlike [THE ALTERNATIVE], we [KEY DIFFERENTIATOR].

** Important ** While a slogan can be or include your USP, they are not the same thing. As Dan Kennedy wrote, almost no one remembers the company or brand behind a vague tag line, such as these:

We’re With You
That Was Easy
The Stuff Of Life

Unique Selling Proposition wrapup

A USP is not something that you might get immediately or for that matter right, on the first try. It is going to require you to spend some time, effort, and thought.

You can always evolve your USP and change it.

Once you get your USP right, it is going to give you a huge edge over the competition. People shopping for what you offer will click more often on your links, and will be more likely to convert from leads to customers.

Some USP Resources

https://nobsinnercircle.com/blog/small-business-marketing-tips/unique-selling-proposition-vs-dumb-slogans/

USP Summary

We trust that you found this blog post useful.

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