As always, the Startuppers Club helps you design your startup projects. You have managed to find a good idea to create a startup and you have found a name that is still available. You are good! The next step for the future startup is to write a good value proposition . However, three statistics show that there is still work to be done:

  • 7 out of 10 products that go on the market do not find customers (according to a study by Simon-Kucher & Partners, 2014).
  • 82% of websites do not offer a clear understanding of what the company offers (according to a study by Convertize, 2018).
  • 8 seconds. This is the average attention time it takes for an Internet user to know if they will stay longer on the site.

I – 3 criteria for a good value proposition

A good value proposition should ideally fit into one sentence. It is the promise you make to your client in exchange for their trust. It must be maintained by your product or service. 3 criteria are important for good writing:

  • Concrete
  • Relevant
  • Only

1. How to make your proposal as concrete as possible so that it is easily understood?

A. Easy to understand and clear

Your value proposition should be very clear and easy to understand. Given the decisive 8 seconds to stay on a site, the Internet user must immediately understand what your startup is proposing. A slogan or short phrase should convey the general idea. For example, you cannot use «Just do it» as a value proposition, as it is not self-explanatory at all. Nike can «do it» because the brand’s activity is already well known.

B. Close to reality

The explanation of your concept should be as close to reality as possible so as not to create expectations or frustrations for the customer. Otherwise you would not be satisfied and will not return. Therefore, do not embellish reality, but really explain what your company can offer, what you need it can satisfy, etc …

C. Accuracy of the value proposition

The more specific the value proposition, the more likely the customer is to want to buy the product. For example, it is easy to see the difference between «learning to negotiate» and «learning to negotiate to buy a property at a good price». If you sell training in selling goods, your value proposition becomes much more specific and your customers will know that you offer exactly what they are looking for.

2. How to make your value proposition relevant?

A. Targeting the customer’s need

Your value proposition must respond directly to the needs of your target customer. You must determine how your service or product is in line with the wishes of the customer. Ideally, if you have a website, it is even to understand what your desired client is writing to find you. In our example, you will certainly write «negotiate the purchase of real estate.» Therefore, from an SEO and marketing point of view, it would be a good idea to include these words in your value proposition. Perhaps «Learning to Negotiate to Make a Good Real Estate Purchase» would be more appropriate.

B. Understand the value proposition you are looking for

This step is essential for a successful startup. Some ideas are good but do not correspond to any need and therefore do not reach any customer.

Feel free to take some time up front to understand market expectations. What are the key points of the expected service? What are the points that do not add value to the startup’s proposal? etc … You can carry out a market study and get closer to your future clients to understand them better, to know what they dream of.

Taking the time to define the need is key to entrepreneurship. This can save you from having to create a startup for nothing or having to change your business model later.

3. How to ensure the uniqueness of the concept?

A. What makes your value proposition unique?

Finally, the last step in creating the value proposition is to ensure the uniqueness of the concept. Of course, you can’t always be alone when coming up with an idea. But you have to try to explain why the offer you propose is the most appropriate, the best etc …

B. Examples of uniqueness of the proposal

You can propose a quality of service, speed of execution, reliability, or a different mentality from the competition … But the more you differentiate yourself, the more you can federate your clients around strong values. A good example would be Apple and Samsung, both of which offer smartphones. But the value proposition is very different, and Apple’s customers are very loyal to its brand.

II. The ultimate goal of the value proposition: Convert customers

En efecto, si la propuesta de valor debe ser lo más adaptada posible a las necesidades del cliente y su formulación lo más sencilla posible, es porque servirá para presentar su puesta en marcha en un proceso de elección. La elección la hace el cliente. ¿Se quedará en su sitio? ¿Desea comprar su producto? ¿Se dejará seducir por su servicio?

Como la mayoría de las startups, probablemente tengas un sitio web. Por lo tanto, el objetivo de su propuesta de valor es que sus primeros visitantes continúen más allá de la landing page o la home page. Para lograr esto, necesita ser impactante, hacer que el usuario de la web quiera ir más lejos para aprender más. Pero para optimizar estas conversiones, además de lo anterior, tendrá que pasar por el AB Testing.

AB Testing to refine your value proposition

The concept of AB Testing is to test various versions of your value proposition and see which formulation converts customers. Once you’ve determined the best value proposition, save it and put it in front of a new formulation. This test should be done with a large enough number of visitors to be meaningful.

Advertising to carry out the value proposition test

If your site still isn’t attracting enough visitors, then running an AB testing campaign can be tricky. So you can pay to go faster running an ad campaign. Target your target customer with a Google AdWords campaign, Facebook advertising or any other social network.