Why People Are Struggling to Buy From You

Why should a potential customer buy from you? What distinguishes you from the competition? Here we look at three areas that can help define your business’s value proposition.

As the lockdown begins to ease in the UK and we head towards (another) sense of normality, many brands are still struggling to stand out to potential new customers – why?

The conundrum

Over the years I have met numerous companies that ‘believe’ that they are truly unique, and to prove it they plaster it all over their website.

They use certain platitudes and adjectives that we’ve all seen or even used ourselves. They include things like:

  • Experienced team
  • Trustworthy
  • Leader in our field
  • Customer focussed
  • Joining the dots

And the list goes on. One of my favourites at the moment is, “Award winning” ????

How customers see you

The reality is that many of your potential customers want information that is genuine. They want to see the face or faces that are behind the brand. They don’t want the general ‘fluff’ they see everywhere else. 

The best approach is to get the basics right first.

Trust

Sometimes trust is eroded when there is a lack of consistency and when a company is trying to be something they’re not. Trust also fades if it seems that a company is trying too hard. Sometimes people may feel they are being deceived. 

To build trust, get the basics right.

In the 2020 Consumer Culture Report – 71% of consumers prefer buying from brands that align to their values.

So here are a few areas to help get your potential customers buying from you…again and again.

Is your service or product offering clear?

In many cases, customers are put off by confused offerings. If you are in a competitive market or commoditised space, the need to stand out is important.

In many cases, brands list their features. Be clear about what problem your service or product is solving and not just what your service does. 

A good way to try and do this is by compiling a FAB list. FAB stands for Feature, Advantages and Benefits. 

For each of your products and services list at least one FAB. An example could be a life assurance policy for a mortgage:

F – It is a life assurance policy indexed against your mortgage

A – It protects you and your family for the length of the mortgage

B – If you die, money is paid to your family so they are not left without a house.

This helps the user understand the benefit to them.

Stop using tech speak and jargon

Many brands use technical language assuming (wrongly) that their prospective customers will understand what they are saying. 

This is normally done by companies to try and show prowess against their competitors. In reality it is confusing and in some cases, misleading. 

It also puts buyers off. Remember KISS. 

K – Keep

I – it

S – Simple

S – Stupid 

In other words, keep it simple or you will look stupid. 

Are your contact details aligned?

As brands expand, they may add services and products that have a different URL or website. 

In some instances this may be necessary to differentiate the service from the main brand but be wary as it can cause confusion.  This can also lead to your website and other mentions of your brand being inconsistent, which in turn could result in Google potentially penalising you when ranking you on search results.

In a world where people are continually looking for products and services at home, at work and on the move, NAP (name, address, phone) consistency is considered to be a local ranking factor and is therefore key for SEO

Next steps

These are just a few examples of the many ways we work with our clients to help define their proposition to help them win new business.

Before you begin, it is important that you define your whole business proposition. 

We work to understand your business, diagnose the challenges and look at the possible opportunities. 

This helps in creating the right message for the right business at the right time. 

Learn more about our service ???? here ????

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