There is more to designing a website than putting up something pretty. Your website needs to speak to your audience in a way that describes your business to them in the words they would use. It should reflect boldly your unique selling proposition (USP).

What Is Your USP?

This is something you and only you can do for your customer. For instance, perhaps you “…deliver widgets on time, every time, no exceptions.” A USP describes what you do in a unique way, describes whatever action you will do for your customer, with a guarantee, in a short, simple way that your audience understands. Essentially it says what makes you so special and why your customer should agree with that and buy from you.

In order to ensure that your website reflects your USP, you will need to be sure to include the information necessary to get across your message.

What Your Website Should Do

* List the benefits your products or services provide – Your audience wants to know what’s in it for them and how your business helps them. List your customers’ problems and how your products solve them.

* Explain why you are the best person to provide the product or service – Everyone likes to say they are the best. And, of course you are the best to provide the product or service for your particular audience, and you can prove it. Offer proof that you’re the best. Tell them and show them why.

* Show samples of your products and/or services when possible – Letting your audience see what your finished products or services look like is a great way to help them make the choice to buy and see how you’re different.

* Have a clear and understandable way to do business with you – It’s important that your audience knows exactly what you do and how to do business with you. Don’t hide your order button or contact button. Make it super clear from the moment they visit your website.

* Answer what sets your business apart from the competition? – Don’t mention your competition’s name, but do show how you’re different through your examples, words and actions.

* Reduce confusion about your USP to your audience – Speak to your audience via your website in a way that shows your audience that you know who they are and what they stand for. After all, even your USP is about them, not you. It’s about how you can serve them.

* Deliver the USP within the first four seconds – On your website, this information needs to be “above the fold” and very clearly up front. It should also be understandable and readable on mobile technology to ensure that your audience can understand your USP easily.

Your USP needs to be kept in mind for every aspect of your website, every blog post you write, and how you deliver the work or product to your audience.