Stop Listing Features and Start Selling Benefits
Small business owners often list what their product does instead of how it helps. Here is how to fix your website copy to focus on the customer.
Adapted from our Facebook post.
Your website is a tool for your business. It should help your customers understand why they need you. If it just lists facts, you are missing out on an opportunity to connect.
The Difference Between Features and Benefits
We posted about this on Facebook this week because it is the most common mistake we see on small business sites. A feature describes what a product or service is or does. It is a factual statement. For example, a lawn care service might say they offer weekly grass cutting. That is a feature.
A benefit describes what that feature does for your customer. It tells them how their life changes because of your work. Using the same example, the benefit is that the homeowner gets their Saturday morning back without having to sweat in the heat. The customer does not care about the mower; they care about the free time.
Why Your Customers Ignore Your Features
Most visitors to your site are busy. They are likely stressed or looking for a solution to a specific problem. They do not have time to decode your list of specs or service inclusions. If they have to do the mental work to figure out how you help them, they will likely leave.
When you focus on benefits, you are doing the work for them. You are explaining the value of your offer immediately. This keeps them on the page longer because they feel understood. They are looking for a partner in their problem-solving, not a technical manual.
The "So You Can" Test
If you want to improve your website today, try the "so you can" test. Look at every bullet point on your homepage. Read the sentence, then add the phrase "so you can" to the end of it.
If you can easily finish that sentence with a positive outcome for the customer, you have found a benefit. If you cannot finish the sentence, you are probably just listing a feature. Rewrite it to focus on the outcome. This forces you to get clear on why the detail matters to the person paying your invoice.
Keep It Practical
You do not need to be a professional writer to do this. In fact, simple is better. Avoid marketing fluff or buzzwords. If you sell accounting software, do not tell me about your cloud integration. Tell me that I will stop losing receipts in my glove box. Honesty and clarity are far more effective than trying to sound clever.
The Takeaway
Your customers care about their own problems first. Shift your writing to address those problems rather than your service list. Take a look at your "Services" or "About" page today. Find one feature you love and rewrite it as a benefit. Your visitors will notice the difference.
Ready to Take Action?
Let's turn what you just read into a website that works. Tell us about your business and we'll send a proposal within a day.