Cofounder and president of OptinMonster. Expert software architect with a deep knowledge of building products for the mass market.
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If you ask the average shopper why they buy a product or service, many will say it all comes down to benefits. People are typically inclined to buy things that improve their lives and make complicated processes more manageable.
Here’s where we come in. It’s our job as tech experts to develop products that are functional, easy to use and provide real value to our customers.
Many business leaders promote their products by including a long list of features, which isn’t nearly enough to capture people’s attention. If you want to take your marketing to the next level, you have to dig a little deeper and connect the features of your product to benefits that make sense for your ideal customer.
For example, the team behind a marketing SaaS could say their product comes with trigger-sensitive popups, but what does that mean for the shopper? It would be more effective to explain to users that triggered popups are an excellent way to reduce shopping cart abandonment and improve sales.
Today, we’ll look at four practical ways you can better explain the benefits of your tech product to your target audience.
1. Write blog posts with your audience and products in mind.
One of the most effective ways to tie your product features to benefits is through your blog. We’ve found that most shoppers read company blogs before they even consider pulling out their debit cards. If you can show why your product or service is worth their time through your content, you’ll have a much better chance of improving conversions.
The key is understanding your customer segments and what they expect from your brand. Segments are groups of customers with similar interests, goals and pain points. So, a marketing SaaS with a suite of plugins would have a wide range of content for people specifically interested in email marketing, social media marketing and paid advertisements.
Let’s say someone is thinking about buying email software. They read a few posts focused on growing your lead list and keeping email subscribers engaged. Sprinkled in the blog post are examples that show how your product can make these processes easier for readers. Suddenly, readers can see themselves using this tool because they understand how it will benefit them.
When writing blog posts for your website, think about your audience and products. How can you offer solutions to visitors that include key features of your tech product? Use this thought process as a guide and try to find a way to show your audience how they can benefit from your product in each new blog post.
2. Create engaging product landing pages.
Product landing pages are another excellent way to educate users and show them the benefits of buying from your company. There are a few different ways to highlight your value proposition. For starters, I suggest including examples of benefits next to each feature. Don’t just say what it is—walk readers through the process and explain how feature X will lead to benefit Y. When people know what they stand to gain, they’re far more likely to become customers.
I also suggest allowing users to post reviews on your product landing pages. Reviews set expectations for potential customers and help them see what others think of your brand. Because reviews are written by your customers, they often come from a benefit-oriented point of view. Most customers won’t leave a list of features in their feedback. Instead, they’ll tell other customers how your tech product improved their lives.
3. Give a demonstration on social media.
Video demonstrations allow you to show off your tech product and interact with leads and existing customers in real time. Social media is an excellent place to host these events because you can reach a massive audience quickly. If your product impresses a handful of viewers, your webinar can easily go viral within your industry.
I prefer to come up with webinar ideas like I write blog posts. I don’t have an entire presentation in which I discuss every product detail on social media. Instead, I typically pick a topic—like generating email leads—and make that the focal point.
As I’m giving the presentation and showing viewers how to increase traffic and leads (a direct benefit to them), I use our product and explain to viewers how our tool simplifies the process. I’ve found that this strategy bridges the gap and helps users see the benefits of our product.
You can upload these videos to your website and platforms like YouTube after the presentation is over. If done correctly, prospects will have the opportunity to discover your product benefits long after the live demonstration.
4. Offer a free trial.
Many business leaders allow users to try their product before they buy it. In many cases, the free version is extremely watered down and does not do a good job of “selling” the product. However, with a few changes, your free trial can win over more customers and help you secure sales.
I suggest developing a guided onboarding program with your free trial. When a user opens your software or tool for the first time, trigger an optional guided tour that explores the different features included in your product. Your tour should cover free and premium features visitors can use after completing their order. When premium features are grayed out, people can’t tell whether the paid extras are helpful.
Much like your landing pages, don’t just explain what each button does. Show users an example so they can grasp your value proposition and decide if your product is right for them.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, there are plenty of clever ways to explain the benefits of your tech product. The most important thing to remember is that the benefits need to resonate with the goals of your target audience. Sales and engagement will follow if people can visualize their lives improving from your product.
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