“What It Does” vs. “What It Does for You”

I look at a lot of early-stage startup websites. Some are better than others. But the ones that focus almost entirely on explaining what the product does tend to drive me a little crazy.

The site lists features. It explains how the product works and why it’s different than the competition. As a result, the website often reads like an internal document that’s been made public. What it doesn’t explain is what the customer actually gets.

There’s a big difference between describing a product and describing an outcome. “What it does” tells me how something works. “What it does for you” tells me what will actually change in my business, and why I should pay for it.

Prospects don’t show up to your site because they’re interested in your technology. They’re there trying to figure out whether a problem they have might go away.

The most effective startup websites do less explaining and more translating. They take what the product does and connect it to an end state the customer recognizes. If a prospect can’t picture their business being different after using your product, there’s very little reason for them to take the next step.

A good startup website doesn’t teach the viewer how your product works. It helps them understand how their problem gets solved.