{"id":109705,"date":"2024-11-07T23:23:37","date_gmt":"2024-11-08T07:23:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thegood.com\/?post_type=insights&p=109705"},"modified":"2025-05-21T09:03:16","modified_gmt":"2025-05-21T16:03:16","slug":"benefits-and-unique-selling-points","status":"publish","type":"insights","link":"https:\/\/thegood.com\/insights\/benefits-and-unique-selling-points\/","title":{"rendered":"Is Your Value Promise Falling Short? Here\u2019s How to Identify and Upgrade Tired USPs"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In a crowded SaaS market, simply saying your product is the best won\u2019t cut it. Users need to see exactly what makes it unique and how it can impact their daily lives. Without clear benefits and unique selling points (USPs), your metrics\u2014like registrations, retention, and referrals\u2014can suffer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I have no doubt that your SaaS product has countless things that make it great. But do users intuitively understand those benefits and unique selling points across your digital experience? Are you making sure they know exactly what sets you apart no matter where they are in their journey? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If your answer is anything less than an enthusiastic \u201cyes,\u201d this article is for you. We\u2019re sharing how you can identify and address the gaps in your benefits and unique selling points.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is the benefits & unique selling points heuristic?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Benefits and unique selling points differentiate products\/services by highlighting unique value promises. They show users why they should choose to purchase from you instead of elsewhere. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Without clear benefits and unique selling points, you leave the user uncertain whether it is right for them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Digital experiences that adhere to this heuristic may apply a tactic like breaking down a differentiating feature in a demo video or building an interactive comparison chart that helps users clearly see the advantage of their service\/product.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Benefits and unique selling points is one of the six Heuristics of Digital Experience Optimization\u2122<\/a> developed by our team at The Good. The full list includes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. Priming & Expectation Setting<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Trust & Authority<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Ease<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Benefits & Unique Selling Points<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. Directional Guidance<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  6. Incentives<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    These heuristics theme common optimization issues and opportunities. Optimizing your digital experience through the lens of heuristics keeps the user at the center of analyses. When done correctly, it will ensure your strategy creates journeys that feel familiar, do what they say, and function intuitively<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Knowing this heuristic is the first step. Now, let\u2019s look at how to spot areas where you may be falling short.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Use research to understand where benefits & USPs are unclear <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    It\u2019s important to understand where and when users are missing the value promise of your product. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    A great way to deepen your understanding of the current experience is with user research. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Research methods like session recordings, heatmap analysis, and user testing may indicate you are in violation of the benefits and unique selling points heuristic. Watch for these common signs that your benefits and USPs may not be coming across clearly:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Low Directness<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
      \n
    • Research methodology: <\/strong>Session recordings<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • How it manifests:<\/strong> Users can be seen scrolling through the site looking for specific content and struggling to find items of interest, possibly hesitating on the site, suggesting uncertainty.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • What it means: <\/strong>If you\u2019re noticing patterns of users hesitating to click when looking at the menu or visiting several pages before finally lingering on a page, they may need support in wayfinding. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • What to do about it: <\/strong>Take low directness as a sign that users need a little directional guidance and use it as a jumping-off point to further evaluate your navigation, labels, and page nesting. If you have a flagship use case that regular customers swear by, try to get users to see it (and its value) earlier, and don\u2019t make them dig for it. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

      Attentive\/Intentional Reading<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
        \n
      • Research methodology: <\/strong>Session recordings<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • How it manifests: <\/strong>When a user slowly scrolls over content on a desktop, their mouse hovers over text, and when they are intensely reading, you might even see them go line-by-line.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • What it means: <\/strong>When users demonstrate a detailed reading of the fine print, it may indicate that they are looking for something they simply can\u2019t find or trying to determine if the product fits their use case.  <\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • What to do about it: <\/strong>Keep an eye out for sessions that include intense reading and try to determine what content the user was looking for (and not finding) so you can serve that up more prominently in the user experience. For consumable products, that might mean clearer nutritional benefits. For a digital product, it might mean showcasing compatibility or use cases. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
        \"A<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

        Positive Sentiment or Negative Sentiment<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
          \n
        • Research methodology: <\/strong>User testing<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • How it manifests: <\/strong>User expresses positive or negative emotions towards the site\/brand or an element of the site\/brand.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • What it means: <\/strong>If, in early testing, users aren\u2019t connecting to your product, you might hear subtle hints like \u201cI would want to go back and make sure to evaluate the alternatives.\u201d When users don\u2019t clearly understand your unique value proposition, they\u2019ll fail to connect and indicate they\u2019re not sold. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • What to do about it: <\/strong>Use those blas\u00e9 moments to fine-tune your messaging until it starts to click. Make sure you\u2019re articulating who your product is best<\/em> for in the language of your users. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n