Value proposition examples
Value proposition examples for SaaS, dev tools, and ecommerce, the patterns behind the clear ones, a simple formula, and the tests to run before it ships.
TLDR
- A value proposition says what you do, for whom, and why it beats the alternative. On a site, it’s the headline plus the line under it.
- Clear beats clever, every time. If a stranger can’t repeat it after five seconds, rewrite it.
- The classic formula is a good thinking tool and a bad headline. Fill it in, then rewrite it in plain words.
The formula, as a thinking tool
The old positioning statement, from Geoffrey Moore’s Crossing the Chasm:
For [who] who [have this problem], [product] is a [category] that [main benefit]. Unlike [alternative], it [key difference].
For a fictional product: “For marketers who lose references across ten apps, Savepad is a swipe file that keeps every ad, page, and email searchable. Unlike bookmarks, it keeps the thing itself, even after the page is gone.”
That’s not a headline. It’s the brief for one.
Patterns that work
The category plus a twist. “The Postgres platform”, “The issue tracker for modern software teams”. You know what it is instantly, and the twist tells you why it’s different.
The outcome. What life looks like after. “Get paid faster.” Works when the outcome is concrete.
The problem, named. “Too many tabs?” Works when the reader feels the pain right now.
The against. Defining yourself against the default. “No AI, on purpose” is ours. It works if the thing you’re against is something people are actually tired of.
Tests before it ships
- The five-second test. Show it to someone outside your industry for five seconds. Ask what you do. Ask who it’s for.
- The competitor swap. Put a competitor’s name in your headline. If it still works, it’s too generic.
- The out-loud test. Read it to a friend. If you’d never say it in a bar, it’s marketing-speak.
- The customer test. Does it use the words your customers use when they describe the problem? Their words, from support tickets and reviews, beat yours.
Steal the structure, not the words
Collect headlines and subheads that made you understand a product instantly. Note the pattern next to each. In Savepad, search reads the text on every saved page, so a search for “unlike” or “the platform” pulls up every value prop you’ve saved that used it. The headline examples post has more formulas, and hero section examples shows where it all lives on the page.
FAQ
What is a value proposition?
A short statement of what you do, who it's for, and why it's better than the alternative. On a website it's usually the headline and the line under it.
What's a simple value proposition formula?
For [who] who [problem], [product] is a [category] that [main benefit]. Unlike [alternative], it [key difference]. Use it to think, then rewrite it so it sounds like a person.
How do I know if my value proposition is clear?
Show your homepage to someone outside your industry for five seconds, then ask what you do and who it's for. If they can't say, it isn't clear.