Whether you are marketing a brick and mortar business or an online business, certain things hold true for your website (well, and your marketing in general). You must sell the benefits not the features. Maybe you have heard people say “sell the sizzle, not the steak.”
In other words, you MUST talk about what the product does for the consumer instead of the product itself. People want to feel good, to have better taste, more free time, better relationships, etc. Consumers want to know what your product can do for them. It is even more important when you are marketing online because when people come to your website, you have often a matter of seconds to tell them who you are and what you do better than others. Imagine you are driving down the interstate and people are driving by your billboard. They only have 3-5 seconds to read who you are and what you can do for them. If you can create FAB statements in your marketing for all of your products and services, it will help you build your brand and your business (and convert website visitors).
Features – A feature tells what it is consumers are buying. For example, archival framing is a feature.
Advantages – An advantage is what the feature does that competing products or services don’t do. For example, the advantage of archival framing over non-archival framing is that the archival framing protects the artwork from the elements.
Benefits – A benefit is what the feature does for the consumer. For example, the benefit of archival framing is that the artwork inside the frame will last longer.
Action step: Carve out an hour in the next week to go through your website and your other marketing materials. Put on your consumer hat and pretend you have no idea what your business is or what it can do for the consumer. Make sure that every feature listed also lists the advantages and benefits. Then let us know how it went!
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