You have, maybe, three seconds . . . one thousand one . . . one thousand two . . . one thousand three . . . before — CLICK — and your website visitor is gone

By Pam McDonald

You have, maybe, three seconds . . .

COUNT OUT LOUD . . . one thousand one . . . one thousand two . . . one thousand three . . . before, click, and your website visitor is gone.

Your visitors most likely found you by searching for “senior living,” “assisted living,” “memory care,” or another generic search term on Google, and when they get to your website, they want to know the following – immediately:

  • What you do or offer

  • Who would most benefit from your services or products

  • The results (advantages) your customers can expect to gain

  • Why they should choose you over your competitors

What A Value Proposition Is

Basically, a value proposition is a clear statement of what you do or offer. It identifies what problem your service or product solves or what benefits your customers gain. And, it offers evidence to motivate customers to choose you over your competitors.

For a senior living website, the best value propositions highlight what your community does for your residents and their families. It articulates the challenges you alleviate or desired outcomes customers experience by living in your community. And, it expresses what makes your community unique and better than others in your neighborhood.

What A Value Proposition Is NOT

Your value proposition is not your slogan or a tagline, such as:

Just do it!

You’re in good hands

Senior living solutions

The best assisted living

And, it’s not a “feature dump” of everything and the kitchen sink; you know: three meals; independent living, assisted living and memory care; lots of activities; caring staff . . .

The Components of an Effective Value Proposition

For best results, your value proposition should have the following:

  • Headline: One show-stopping, compelling, customer-centric sentence that grabs your visitor’s attention and sums up your bold promise to customers

  • Subhead: Another compelling, short sentence highlighting benefits, value added, or pain points relieved

  • Short Paragraph or Bulleted List: (if needed) Providing more details about results your customers gain or unique features

  • Visual element: An image or images that enhance your written message and indicate who and how you serve, (they can be especially effective when they depict delighted customers)

What Makes A Value Proposition Good?

  • Clarity — it is immediately understandable
  • Conciseness — it can be read and understood in 5 seconds
  • Results — it communicates specific results customers will get
  • Credibility — it provides evidence – not just claims – of excellence, such as testimonials, awards, professional recognition, etc.

Easy Navigation

Once your visitors have scanned your value proposition, they’ll want quick guidance on where to navigate next, such as buttons or “windows” that say: “Learn more,” “Watch the Video,” “Get Started,” “Request A Tour,” etc.

Watch Your Bounce Rate

The first measure of your value proposition’s effectiveness is your bounce rate. Hopefully, you have access to your website analytics so you can see this metric. Your bounce rate shows the percentage of your visitors who navigate away (bounce) from your site after viewing only the page on which they entered.

Jay Peyton of RocketFuel.com, a digital design and marketing company, offers the following rule of thumb:

  • A bounce rate in the range of 26 to 40 percent is excellent

  • 41 to 55 percent is roughly average

  • 56 to 70 percent is higher than average, but may not be cause for alarm

  • Anything over 70 percent is disappointing

Examples of Excellent Senior Living Value Propositions

How can we help you realize your dream?

Who we are

Our companies

Partners & philanthropy

Centers for excellence

Our stories

What is humanly possible?

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Creating simple yet compelling value propositions is not easy; it’s an art. If you’d like assistance or more information, contact Paul Flowers with Circa 46, an advertising agency with a speciality in senior living and a Senior Housing Forum partner, at 469-227-3271 or www.circa46.com.