USP: Differentiate Your Site In 30 Seconds.

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If time permits, I’ll try to check the blogs and websites of people commenting on my blog. I want to see who they are, what they produce and how they differentiate and position themselves in their market. I want to learn from their USP (Unique Selling Proposition).

Last Saturday John left a comment on my ‘About’ page. My bio reminded him about … him. Hmmm, very flattering.

But he also asked my opinion about his site and since John was smart enough to mention he came to this blog via Copyblogger - thus positioning himself as quite smart in my opinion - I immediately went over to eVentureBiz.

Mind you, this is not to bash anyone or anyone’s site.
It’s just an example from someone who asked my opinion and I only use his site to make the point, mentioned in the title of this post.

So…

I see a nice design. It’s not too cluttered, nice colors, easy to read.
Same applies to the navigation panes on top and at the left.
So far, so good.

But then I noticed something that I wonder about on many sites: why should I buy here? In other words, how is this site different from others and how is it unique. What’s the USP?

In the header it says: eVentureBiz, which is branding his website. Great, but what does it tell us? I’m still in the dark.
And below that it says Social Entrepreneurial Web Hosting. Huh? What’s that?

I mean, the majority of people coming along will have some idea about web hosting, but what the heck is Social Entrepreneurial Web Hosting?
The term may be a great USP, but in my opinion needs to be explained immediately at the beginning of the page.

Now, the page starts with: Welcome to eVentureBiz.
That’s nice, but all visitors at this specific point want to know is “What’s In It For Me (WIIFM)”! If you don’t tell them here and right now, they’re gone!
Stating ‘a Web Hosting and Entrepreneurial Development Company’ isn’t going to do the trick.

Then the page continues with ‘Purpose of this Site’. Which is great, because now we can learn what this site is about, try to discover what’s in it for us and investigate further or click away.
(Always remember that you can’t please everyone, so people, even in your target group, still will click away. No time, to confused, not appealed to your site, whatever reason, you can’t please them all.)

Ok, on.
Reading the purpose of this site, I would say that it targets the product (web hosting) to beginning online entrepreneurs. But the product, if I understand correctly, is not just web hosting, it comes with tons of extra and even personal help.
If that is the case, don’t let them hanging.

In general, the first halve minute some stranger spend on your site, she has to see three things:

1. Who is it for.
2. What exactly is offered.
3. Why is it offered.

Number one and two are clear, number three is ‘reason why’ marketing (see Michel Fortin’s Your Reader Wants To Know These 5 Things). It binds your visitor with you… or not (that’s why some, despite a good offer, will not buy from you).

The fastest way to accomplish this is to put that in head- and sublines, like:

Now, I’m not saying this is the ultimate headline. It’s just a quickie. Can be improved, thousand times. Go back to Copyblogger and read Magnetic Headlines.

But it does the job! It answers the first three questions.

In the intro paragraphs, you build on these headlines. Since you understand where these newbies are coming from, tell them about the problems they have, right now!
Briefly make it clear you’ve been there too, so you can relate and they can begin trusting you.
And then tell them about the solutions you’ve found for these problems they have and how you can help them.

Then, take down that blue logo at the right and replace it with a small picture of yourself, so they can SEE who they’re dealing with.
By now it’s time to introduce yourself (briefly, you only have to show that you’re the expert, they don’t care about you personally).

After that, expand on the solution you are offering and make it so, that it blends in with your USP. Remember, social?

That’s how you differentiate yourself in 30 seconds.
Work your USP!

So…. marketers and copywriters, did I leave anything out?
Can you help John with an excellent headline?
Leave your comments below.

Tags: differentiate, position, Unique Selling Proposition, USP, Web Design, web development