No matter what people are buying, be it tennis shoes or a marketing automation tool, they want to know the features of your product. When people are evaluating different products, they usually look at factors such as characteristics, cost, and appearance, in addition to any other qualities.
Would you purchase a computer without knowing how much memory it contains? Do you know if stretching would be possible in a pair of yoga pants?
Although they are significant, numerous companies are neglecting to explicitly illustrate the features of their products on their websites—which could ultimately result in diminished income.
The features of your product should be apparent and powerful, making them very appealing to potential buyers. Here’s how to get your product features right.
What Is a Product Feature?
A product feature is something that sets your product apart from its competitors in the market. The way it looks, its functional capabilities, and the extras it comes with are all potential features of the product.
What about a software product?
The majority of particularities typically focus on the product’s capacity (what one is able to do with it), yet they can also incorporate connections or data protection.
It is not essential for the features of a product to be different from those of others. As design, technology, and production methods improve, certain characteristics are becoming commonplace. It would be difficult to purchase a smartphone without a touchscreen, even though it is something that brands mention in their advertising.
No matter how many features are included in your product, you must advertise them throughout your website, from your product descriptions to your landing page and even the main page.
Be explicit in describing the details of your product so customers can evaluate it versus other similar options. If your product has the best qualities in the field, it is even more essential. The more you emphasize them, the more likely potential customers are to pay attention—and potentially make a purchase.
Why Feature Announcements Matter#
“All product feature strategies should start with a well-defined and well-structured content and communication strategy. This includes internal sales enablement content and training, client-facing notifications within the tool, and content designed to attract new users from marketing channels such as Google search, social media, or paid channels.”
– Bill Ross, Founder of Linchpin SEO
The benefits of a good feature announcement product marketing strategy are huge:
- Decrease the number of customers who cancel their service by reconnecting with those who are looking at alternative services or unhappy about current restrictions.
- Demonstrate to your current customers that you pay attention to their demands and take action quickly to enhance their devotion.
- Increase retention by having users become reliant on a capability that aids them in achieving success.
However, your users don’t always see it that way…
Your users are humans. And humans are resistant to change
Psychological forces make it difficult for you when construct new features. Unless a person understands the problem that your feature solves, they may be hesitant to utilize it due to the risk of possible complications.
Are you aware that only 21% of iOS users put in any app updates within seven days after they are launched?
That’s because the users see no value in updating. It necessitates pressing, delay, and the danger that something might be worse than anticipated. The people using this might be content, but they don’t seem particularly enthused or interested in the additional functions. In fact, they might even be scared.
Studies drawn from the past and present suggest a natural inclination towards trepidation when it comes to adapting to alterations. The capacity to stay alive in a time when the risk of being preyed upon by a lynx or harmed by an unfamiliar berry was a regular occurrence was what aided our ancestors in enduring.
We still maintain the same frame of mind, despite being much safer now. Your users aren’t nervously surveying the area for potential danger in a dark, spooky environment, but they do possess an analogous level of apprehension.
Slowly bringing out a new element with the perfect timing and communication can help make it familiar and encourage people to use it.
Strategies for Highlighting Product Features
You have an understanding of the elements that should be included on your website, and why they are essential. Let’s consider seven methods that online shops and software as a service (SaaS) services can take advantage of.
Include Social Proof
Discussing the superiority of your attributes is pleasant, yet other businesses do the same. Even if your product has excellent characteristics, customers may not trust you. Only a small portion of purchasers have confidence in the companies that they buy from.
In order to get them to believe your product works, you need to provide evidence that others have had good results. Include citations from customers or reliable outside sources that speak about your product’s capabilities on relevant pages. It would be even better if you included pictures and videos of people utilizing your product.
Having actual individuals demonstrate the capabilities of your product will make it much easier for purchasers to trust your organization. This provides a legitimacy that other methods cannot provide.
Speak to Your Target Audience
In order to effectively describe your product features, you must be knowledgeable about the people you are trying to appeal to. Be sure to consult your buyer personas while composing any writing. This will enable you to decide which functions your customers value the most.
Begin by taking a glance at reviews for both your product as well as your opponents; G2 should be the first port of call for software businesses and Amazon for e-commerce firms. Figure out the most talked about characteristics that customers bring up and make them a priority.
Be wary of trying to target everyone. It is particularly vital for software-as-a-service (SaaS) applications which can have abundant potential applications. For each goal consumer, there should be a unique web page where only appropriate product characteristics are discussed. If you attempt to address all audiences on a single webpage, it will be difficult to hone in on any one demographic effectively.
Focus on the Benefits
People are only interested in a certain extent in what distinguishes your product. What matters most to them is what gain they will receive.
Talk about a benefit whenever you mention a feature.
Crafting a piece on benefits necessitates devoting additional energy and ingenuity. Your product’s features are fairly obvious, especially to you. It is not obvious how the user gains from these things. Take a moment to reflect on who your customer base is and take a look at what individuals are saying about your product in reviews. These will assist you in perceiving your customers’ perspectives and centering on the advantages that are important to them.
If you desire to be successful, converse with your customers to determine precisely how your product revamps their life. It requires somewhat more work, but without a doubt, this is the optimal way to draw out the advantages of your product.
Draw Attention to the Important Details
It would be beneficial for customers to pay particular attention to certain features. It’s essential to arrange features in levels of priority and find ways to emphasize the features that customers are most concerned about.
Separate your page into subsections and designate each subsection for a particular element. Create a headline that will draw in your readers, supported by concise and impactful language, coupled with visuals that are sure to catch their eye.
Make Information Scannable
Your clientele has a lot of things to do, so for the most part, they won’t read every single word on your webpage. Rather than read it all, they are going to search for important pieces of data. It is your responsibility to make the characteristics of your product read through quickly while being sure the fundamental idea is being understood.
Bullet points are advantageous in many respects, notably because very long pieces of text tend to put readers off – this is especially true when a great deal of information needs to be conveyed.
Target has a list of the main features of every item featured on its website, so you don’t have to open up every item to get the essential details.
Use Video and Images
Communication of your product’s characteristics does not only have to be in verbal form. Pictures and motion pictures are typically more efficient for conveying precisely what your product is capable of.
Photographs are a convenient way of demonstrating to customers the appearance and functioning of significant aspects. Graphic design elements and e-commerce product capabilities are extremely effective. You will get extra credit if you include user-submitted photos in your explanations.
Creating videos requires more effort, but they are far more effective than other methods. You could illustrate your product’s essential capabilities with an explainer video, or make individual videos for each component.
Your feature-focused videos can be employed as part of the initiation procedure and be utilized by your sales personnel during customer calls. Hosting videos on YouTube can help raise your search ranking positions.
Feature Announcement Types & Examples
In-product announcements
Example #1: Google Analytics
Google Analytics has just unveiled a new feature, which is conveyed through a tooltip that elucidates the range of the feature and encourages viewers to take action.
This notification is contained within the app so users don’t need to transfer a help document’s directions or pictures into their experience. They can choose to view the report immediately to quickly access the data. Notifying users of features within an app can provide essential details to what you tell them and allow them to take action right away.
Example #2: Facebook
Facebook’s Creative Hub users were informed of the introduction of team collaboration features. It employs concise writing, discernible graphics, and supplemental tooltips as a backup to accommodate people with varying levels of attention.
The daring frame of thinking is used as the primary strategy – it features a concise statement that covers the breadth of the feature, even in the case that users don’t press the “next” button. For someone quickly looking at the page, the typical avatar image with a plus symbol is interpreted as a signal to “Add your team”. If the user opts to shut down the modal, they will still receive Plan B – the tooltips located below explain the new features and adjustments the user can anticipate.
In-product release notes vs. prompts
Blog post announcements
Example #1: Twilio
Twilio is informing customers about their new API for WhatsApp, and letting them know that it provides a solid and reliable way for clients to contact users through the WhatsApp application. You can now utilize the same application programming interface to transmit WhatsApp messages that you use for Short Message Service. You need only revise two lines of code.
This post includes a sample piece of coding that clearly shows how to add WhatsApp functionality to the apps you are using with Twilio. It redirects to tutorials, an introductory guide, and samples of applications employing the WhatsApp API that have been built with Twilio.
Example #2: Asana
By writing extensive blog entries, it is possible to offer multiple motivating examples for your customers to understand how to use a new component, as well as aid them in visualizing how it can be incorporated into their own processes.
The integration of Slack and Asana allowed Slack users to control their Asana duties without having to switch applications. What value do Asana and Slack provide, since you are already accustomed to using them? The aim of the blog post on the Asana Slack app was to respond to the inquiry.
Conclusion
Showcasing your product features is a hugely underrated tactic. Marketers and salespeople advise emphasizing the advantages of your item rather than its traits. The importance of advantages is undeniable, however, it cannot be overstated that it is essential to be concise in outlining the characteristics prior to mentioning them. Attributes are among the most popular means of contrasting your product with that of your competition when assessed by possible consumers.
Take the time to decide which features are crucial and get suggestions from existing clients if it’s feasible. Use the seven strategies I have provided above to make them appear on your website.
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