Your USP: What it is and how to make it stand out
Unique selling proposition or USP is the offer which the seller makes to a potential buyer as to why their product is better than their competitors. 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, with competition using 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 user´s attention and convince them that your business is the right one for them.
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 do not differentiate themselves from each other.
One way that your USP can become more effective is if you use this knowledge of the competition to differentiate yourself from them and show the user how you are better. 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 bingo industry. Every website claims to be the best promising that their online games and prizes are in some way better than the next website. By utilising USP an online bingo site can establish itself as different, maybe by showing that they have much more exclusive games and tournaments when 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, reinforcing and closing statements displayed on your landing page. Firstly, your headline´s only job is to get the visitor to keep engaging on your message, to
increase the desire of your offering and motivate a call-to-action to click. Staying with our example of bingo, mFortune is one of the mobile bingo brands that produce their own unique games and focus on mobile. 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 bingo games the benefit they could receive can include hassle free signups or a great loyalty program. 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 bingo 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, sub heading, 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