Turning features into benefits isn't always the right thing to do

Quick quiz: If you stumbled across a business Web site and saw this as its tagline on the home page, what would you think the business does?



Turns out they sell e-mail marketing software. OK, raise your hand if you guessed that ... ? Hmmm ... Not too many hands, I see.

The big problem with this tagline is not just that it's full of meaningless corporate-speak nouns and adjectives (although that is a problem). No, the big problem is that it's too vague for anybody to know whether it meets their needs. Sure, they talk about benefits rather than features - as all good salespeople are taught to do. But they've turned their benefits into such a generic phrase that it's useful to nobody.

For example, "marketing automation" is certainly relevant for somebody who wants e-mail marketing software. But it could also mean things like outsourcing to an outbound telemarketing company, a PR firm sending regular media releases on your behalf, and building the downline for your network marketing business.

Similarly, "sales effectiveness solutions" could mean sales training courses, books and DVDs to help salespeople, market research and analysis, trends predictors, and a host of other things.

The point is, if somebody comes to the site and is interested in any of these other things, they will be disappointed. And that's A Bad Thing. (And in case you think I'm being too picky by just concentrating on one phrase on the home page, I challenge you to spend five minutes browsing their site - start by clicking the LEARN MORE button - and see how long it takes you to figure out that they are selling e-mail marketing software. I eventually cottoned on to it only on the Pricing page!)

As much as your Web site should engage the customers you want, it should also disengage those you don't want. By doing this, you make your Web site instantly more relevant to the people you do want.

So look at your Web site again with a critical eye. You know who you're trying to attract, but are you inadvertently offering to serve others as well? If so, change the wording to be more narrowly focussed. It will save the other people's time, and be more engaging to your true prospects.