![\"Peter](\"https:\/\/static.wingify.com\/vwo\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2013\/10\/PeterSandeen.png\" "\\"Peter")
<\/figure><\/h3>\n\n\n\nPeter\u2019s strategies has helped many businesses improve their conversion rates<\/a>, get rid of their identity crisis phases, and make a mark for themselves in their respective industries.<\/p>\n\n\n\nSo, in this interview, we\u2019re going to leverage Peter\u2019s expertise and experience to learn more about value propositions and how you can use them to improve the conversion rate of your website<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\nBreaking down a value proposition: Meaning and must-have qualities<\/h2>\n\n\n
SMRITI: Welcome to the blog, Peter!<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nLet’s start simple to give some reference to our new readers who might still <\/strong><\/em>be unaware of the concept of value proposition. How would you define it in simple words? And what do you think are the 3 main qualities that a value proposition should have?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nPETER: “Value proposition” is often defined as the “value customers get from you”. I think that\u2019s a lazy definition. It makes the concept of value proposition mostly suitable for executive meetings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I define it as \u201cthe collection of the best reasons your target customers have for taking the action you\u2019re asking for”. For example, your \u201cbusiness value proposition\u201d is built from the best reasons your target customers have for noticing you, paying attention to you, joining your email list, and buying your products.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In other words, when people understand (and believe) the ideas in your value proposition, they\u2019re as likely to buy from you as they can be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That\u2019s why I think your marketing should almost entirely focus on your value proposition. Everything else is \u2014 by definition \u2014 less likely to make people pay attention and buy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
P.S. If you want to get clarity on what your value proposition is \u2014 why people should pay attention to you, join your list, and buy your products \u2014 you can download the FREE PDF that explains Peter’s\u00a0quick 5-step process\u00a0in detail that he uses with his clients to come up with an effective value proposition.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nA strong value proposition is built from ideas or ‘reasons to act’ that are unique, believable, and desirable. If any of those is lacking, your marketing just can\u2019t be very effective and your conversion rates will be far from what they could be.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nIf it\u2019s not unique to you, it doesn\u2019t give people a reason to pick you over a competitor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If it\u2019s not believable, well, people don\u2019t put any weight on it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And if it\u2019s not desirable \u2014 more than anything else \u2014 it doesn’t give people any reason to be interested in what you can offer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But when it is all that, it almost guarantees that your marketing has an impact (assuming you get your value proposition across in your marketing).<\/p>\n\n\n
Why value proposition takes priority in CRO<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\nSMRITI: You’re one of the best-known conversion experts in the industry. But you distinguish yourself from other experts with your specialization in figuring out clear value propositions for your clients.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat prompted your inclination toward value proposition more than other aspects of conversions like CCDs (Conversion-centered design<\/a>) or copywriting?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nPETER: I used to do a lot of copywriting. And I\u2019ve been interested in CCD and other conversion aspects, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But when you define and use \u201cvalue propositions\u201d the way I do, they\u2019re the most natural place to start conversion optimization. And they make by far the biggest differences in results \ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I think too many people focus on minor details (e.g. button colors, page layout, word choices) when their marketing \u2014 everything from advertisements and landing pages to emails and sales copy \u2014 still revolves around messages that don\u2019t make people convert.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Simply put, even the best landing page design won\u2019t make anyone convert if they don\u2019t have a reason to do so.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nYour value proposition is the collection of the best reasons they should convert, so it\u2019s natural for me to start conversion optimization and marketing strategy work by defining a clear, strong value proposition for the client.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then we know we\u2019re not just trying to make people take action without actually giving them the best reasons to do so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And to be honest, I find the concept more fascinating (and it\u2019s more natural for me) than any of the other aspects of marketing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Figuring out what makes the biggest difference to people and then delivering it feels like the \u201cright\u201d way to do marketing. It\u2019s not manipulating people even the slightest; instead, it just helps people see the most value possible in what you offer them.<\/p>\n\n\n
How small businesses can discover their unique value proposition<\/h2>\n\n\n
SMRITI: For most people I know, finding their value proposition is the hardest thing to do. This is especially true for small businesses that are still working their way up and struggling hard to distinguish themselves from the crowd.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat advice do you have for such businesses? How do you think they can come up with an effective value proposition if there’s no core feature that gives their business an edge over their competitors?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nPETER: There\u2019s always something that makes you the best choice for your target customers. Always.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But many people fall for one or more of the typical mistakes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- Who are you targeting?<\/strong> It\u2019s easy to target a market segment that\u2019s too wide. When you\u2019re not specific enough, you\u2019ll struggle to provide unusual value for anyone. And then you can\u2019t come up with a strong value proposition.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- What your competitors do?<\/strong> For example, every web hosting company claims to have fast and reliable servers. So, people no longer make decisions based on those claims. Instead, they look for something that makes you different and better than your competitors. If you try to claim that you have even faster and more reliable servers, it doesn\u2019t make a difference to people.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- How do you back up your claims?<\/strong> People don\u2019t automatically believe you. They\u2019re unlikely to think you\u2019re simply lying, but your claims lose impact if you can\u2019t make people truly believe them. You can\u2019t just say that you\u2019re product is \u201cthe best\u201d if you can\u2019t quantify and prove it somehow.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Sure, there are plenty of other things you need to consider too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But the start is always your target market. When you know whom you\u2019re targeting, you can figure out a way to deliver exceptional value for them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The most typical reason people find that part hard is that they\u2019re not really clear about their target audience. They think they are, but they\u2019re not quite specific enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So, if you struggle to see how you could deliver exceptional value, get clearer about whom you\u2019re targeting and what they want. And then deliver it more, faster, better than anyone else.<\/p>\n\n\n
Most successful CRO test<\/h2>\n\n\n
SMRITI: What’s the most successful CRO test run by you? Please share your story with us.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nPETER: The most successful single test was a sales page test I did with Danny Iny. Long story short, I wrote a new sales page that increased sales by 423%. I\u2019ve run a series of tests that have created more significant improvements, but so far, that\u2019s the biggest improvement any one test has made.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In that case, the difference came from the approach. In other words, I highlighted different aspects of the product, that is, different reasons to buy it. So, even though I didn\u2019t consider it a \u201cvalue proposition\u201d at the time, that\u2019s really what made it work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But I think a more interesting test was a test I ran on my own site. Not because of remarkable conversion improvements, but because it shows how easy it is to miss what people need to hear to convert.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I hate it when people just present test results without giving enough background information to understand what the test is all about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is a simple opt-in landing page test<\/a>. The traffic came (during the test) almost entirely from a page (on another site) that showcases landing pages.<\/p>\n\n\n\nSo, the visitors were only looking for design ideas for their own pages, which makes them very unlikely to convert. The control\u2019s conversion rate was 14.58%, which goes to show how relatively \u201ccold\u201d the traffic was. You can see the Control page<\/a> below:<\/p>\n\n\n
<\/figure><\/h3>\n\n\n\nPeter\u2019s strategies has helped many businesses improve their conversion rates<\/a>, get rid of their identity crisis phases, and make a mark for themselves in their respective industries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So, in this interview, we\u2019re going to leverage Peter\u2019s expertise and experience to learn more about value propositions and how you can use them to improve the conversion rate of your website<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n SMRITI: Welcome to the blog, Peter!<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Let’s start simple to give some reference to our new readers who might still <\/strong><\/em>be unaware of the concept of value proposition. How would you define it in simple words? And what do you think are the 3 main qualities that a value proposition should have?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n PETER: “Value proposition” is often defined as the “value customers get from you”. I think that\u2019s a lazy definition. It makes the concept of value proposition mostly suitable for executive meetings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I define it as \u201cthe collection of the best reasons your target customers have for taking the action you\u2019re asking for”. For example, your \u201cbusiness value proposition\u201d is built from the best reasons your target customers have for noticing you, paying attention to you, joining your email list, and buying your products.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In other words, when people understand (and believe) the ideas in your value proposition, they\u2019re as likely to buy from you as they can be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That\u2019s why I think your marketing should almost entirely focus on your value proposition. Everything else is \u2014 by definition \u2014 less likely to make people pay attention and buy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n P.S. If you want to get clarity on what your value proposition is \u2014 why people should pay attention to you, join your list, and buy your products \u2014 you can download the FREE PDF that explains Peter’s\u00a0quick 5-step process\u00a0in detail that he uses with his clients to come up with an effective value proposition.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n A strong value proposition is built from ideas or ‘reasons to act’ that are unique, believable, and desirable. If any of those is lacking, your marketing just can\u2019t be very effective and your conversion rates will be far from what they could be.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n If it\u2019s not unique to you, it doesn\u2019t give people a reason to pick you over a competitor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If it\u2019s not believable, well, people don\u2019t put any weight on it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And if it\u2019s not desirable \u2014 more than anything else \u2014 it doesn’t give people any reason to be interested in what you can offer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But when it is all that, it almost guarantees that your marketing has an impact (assuming you get your value proposition across in your marketing).<\/p>\n\n\n SMRITI: You’re one of the best-known conversion experts in the industry. But you distinguish yourself from other experts with your specialization in figuring out clear value propositions for your clients.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n What prompted your inclination toward value proposition more than other aspects of conversions like CCDs (Conversion-centered design<\/a>) or copywriting?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n PETER: I used to do a lot of copywriting. And I\u2019ve been interested in CCD and other conversion aspects, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But when you define and use \u201cvalue propositions\u201d the way I do, they\u2019re the most natural place to start conversion optimization. And they make by far the biggest differences in results \ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n\n\n\n I think too many people focus on minor details (e.g. button colors, page layout, word choices) when their marketing \u2014 everything from advertisements and landing pages to emails and sales copy \u2014 still revolves around messages that don\u2019t make people convert.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Simply put, even the best landing page design won\u2019t make anyone convert if they don\u2019t have a reason to do so.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Your value proposition is the collection of the best reasons they should convert, so it\u2019s natural for me to start conversion optimization and marketing strategy work by defining a clear, strong value proposition for the client.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then we know we\u2019re not just trying to make people take action without actually giving them the best reasons to do so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And to be honest, I find the concept more fascinating (and it\u2019s more natural for me) than any of the other aspects of marketing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Figuring out what makes the biggest difference to people and then delivering it feels like the \u201cright\u201d way to do marketing. It\u2019s not manipulating people even the slightest; instead, it just helps people see the most value possible in what you offer them.<\/p>\n\n\n SMRITI: For most people I know, finding their value proposition is the hardest thing to do. This is especially true for small businesses that are still working their way up and struggling hard to distinguish themselves from the crowd.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n What advice do you have for such businesses? How do you think they can come up with an effective value proposition if there’s no core feature that gives their business an edge over their competitors?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n PETER: There\u2019s always something that makes you the best choice for your target customers. Always.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But many people fall for one or more of the typical mistakes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sure, there are plenty of other things you need to consider too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But the start is always your target market. When you know whom you\u2019re targeting, you can figure out a way to deliver exceptional value for them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The most typical reason people find that part hard is that they\u2019re not really clear about their target audience. They think they are, but they\u2019re not quite specific enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So, if you struggle to see how you could deliver exceptional value, get clearer about whom you\u2019re targeting and what they want. And then deliver it more, faster, better than anyone else.<\/p>\n\n\n SMRITI: What’s the most successful CRO test run by you? Please share your story with us.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n PETER: The most successful single test was a sales page test I did with Danny Iny. Long story short, I wrote a new sales page that increased sales by 423%. I\u2019ve run a series of tests that have created more significant improvements, but so far, that\u2019s the biggest improvement any one test has made.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In that case, the difference came from the approach. In other words, I highlighted different aspects of the product, that is, different reasons to buy it. So, even though I didn\u2019t consider it a \u201cvalue proposition\u201d at the time, that\u2019s really what made it work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But I think a more interesting test was a test I ran on my own site. Not because of remarkable conversion improvements, but because it shows how easy it is to miss what people need to hear to convert.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I hate it when people just present test results without giving enough background information to understand what the test is all about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is a simple opt-in landing page test<\/a>. The traffic came (during the test) almost entirely from a page (on another site) that showcases landing pages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So, the visitors were only looking for design ideas for their own pages, which makes them very unlikely to convert. The control\u2019s conversion rate was 14.58%, which goes to show how relatively \u201ccold\u201d the traffic was. You can see the Control page<\/a> below:<\/p>\n\n\nBreaking down a value proposition: Meaning and must-have qualities<\/h2>\n\n\n
Why value proposition takes priority in CRO<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n
How small businesses can discover their unique value proposition<\/h2>\n\n\n
\n
Most successful CRO test<\/h2>\n\n\n
![\"Control](\"https:\/\/static.wingify.com\/gcp\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2013\/10\/Control-page-for-a-test-run-by-Peter-Sandeen-on-his-site.jpg\" "\\"Control")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n![\"Variation](\"https:\/\/static.wingify.com\/gcp\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2013\/10\/Variation-page-for-a-test-run-by-Peter-Sandeen-on-his-site.jpg\" "\\"Variation")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n