The Importance Of Clarity In Ecommerce Messaging

Research shows visitors judge your website in just 0.5 seconds. Is your value proposition passing the blink test? Users decide almost instantly whether to stay or leave. In those critical moments, what are they seeing? Studies by Google confirm that a clear, benefit-oriented value proposition above the fold is your most powerful conversion tool. Yet most websites waste this crucial real estate with vague messaging or distracting carousels. The difference? Communicating clear value instead of just action. At The Good, we consistently find three key elements that determine whether users stay or bounce: 1️⃣ Ensure your headline clearly communicates a specific benefit (not just what you do). 2️⃣ Place this value proposition prominently above the fold, where it's immediately visible. 3️⃣ Support it with descriptive CTAs that reinforce the benefit, not generic "Learn More" buttons. This isn't just about aesthetics... it's about passing the split-second credibility test that determines whether your digital product generates revenue or hemorrhages potential customers. What does your above-the-fold content tell visitors in those critical first moments?

4 minutes, 27 seconds in, I still had no idea what their product did. I was speaking to the CEO of a $3.18M company the other day who was exploring engaging with RR. I asked one of my favorite simple questions that those who know me know I have on a post it on my monitor: “What problem does your product solve for your customers?” Off to the races we went. A whirlwind of jargon, buzzwords, and a feature list so long I could have made my third latte of the morning and come back still confused. I stopped her and asked again. “Okay, in 30 seconds or less, what problem do you solve?” They stared at me. Silence. Awkward for them… not for me, and that’s okay. If you can’t explain your product in 30 seconds or less, you have a problem. - Your prospects don’t have time to sit through a TED Talk. - Investors aren’t waiting around for a thesis. - Customers aren’t trying to decode your pitch. Your value prop needs be crystal clear, instantly. It’s so important, that post it has been on my desk for years.  Here’s how to get there: - Focus on the problem. What pain do you solve? If you can’t answer that, start over. - Speak in outcomes. Customers don’t care about your AI, integrations, or “powerful capabilities.” They care about what it does for them. - Test it on a 12-year-old. If they don’t understand it, neither will your prospects. - Make it conversational. If you wouldn’t say it over coffee, don’t say it in a pitch. Some of the best companies in the world can explain what they do in a single sentence. If you can’t, you’re making everything… sales, marketing, fundraising harder than it needs to be. Clarity wins. Complexity kills. https://lnkd.in/gtz6dBbB

If your company’s messaging makes people say, “Wait… so what do you actually do?”—we have a problem. I’ve seen it happen too many times. A B2B SaaS company builds a great product, hires a rockstar team, and starts selling… but the messaging? It’s vague, jargon-heavy, or—worst of all—indistinguishable from everyone else in the market. Messaging and positioning are the foundation of how your entire company communicates its value. From sales conversations to investor pitches to customer onboarding—if your messaging is unclear, everything else suffers. Good messaging attracts the right audience. If you’re trying to sell to “everyone,” you’re selling to no one. It sets you apart from competitors. If your pitch could be swapped with another company’s and still make sense, you’re missing your unique value. It makes marketing and sales go faster. A documented messaging and positioning framework is like a cheat code for your marketing team. No more starting from scratch on every campaign—just pull from the guidebook and go. More speed, more consistency, better results. It strengthens your brand and builds trust. When everyone in the company—from the CEO to customer support—describes the business the same way, it reinforces credibility. Prospects hear the same value prop everywhere they turn, which builds confidence and trust. So, how do you get it right? → Talk to your customers—constantly. Your messaging shouldn’t be based on internal brainstorming alone. Interview and survey your customers to understand what they see as the real value of your product and how they naturally describe it. Then, validate your messaging with them to ensure it actually resonates. → Be painfully clear. If a stranger outside your industry can’t understand what you do, refine it. Read it out loud. Is it something you would say in an actual conversation? Would your grandmother get it? → Lead with the problem. No one wakes up thinking, “I need AI-powered, next-gen, cloud-based synergy software.” They think, “I need to close my books faster” or “I need to stop drowning in spreadsheets.” → Document it and make it accessible. Messaging isn’t a set-it-and-forget-it exercise. It should be a living, breathing resource that every team can use and refine over time. The best messaging evolves as your company grows and as you continue learning from your customers. If your messaging is solid, everything else—marketing, sales, product adoption—works better. If it’s not? Well, you’ll keep hearing, “Wait… so what do you actually do?” What’s the best (or worst) messaging you’ve ever seen? Drop it in the comments! 👇

Yesterday on a call, a founder paused and hit me with this: "Okay—but what’s the one thing my homepage has to nail?" Here’s what I said: "Don’t make your buyer do the thinking." And this is what I mean in practice: 1️⃣ Clarity beats cleverness every time If a potential buyer has to decode: - What you do - Who it’s for - How it works You’ve already lost them. Clarity isn’t boring. Confusion is. ___ 2️⃣ Pick a hill and die on it Messaging that tries to appeal to everyone… Resonates with no one. Stand for something. Intentionally turn the wrong people off. ___ 3️⃣ Cut the beige "Seamless", "best-in-class"... These claims get plastered on B2B sites. Speak like a human. Be specific. You need to be bold to be remembered. ___ 4️⃣ Show the before and after Paint a vivid picture in their mind: → Here’s the pain you're in → Here’s what at stake because of it → Here’s what life looks like after we help No transformation = no sale ___ 5️⃣ Don’t sell the tool—sell the shift No one buys “features”. They buy what these “features” unlock for them Stop pitching software. Start pitching status or safety. ___ 6️⃣ Make the buyer feel seen Mirror their thoughts before they’re spoken: “You’ve tried X. You’ve done Y.” “But Z keeps happening.” ___ 7️⃣ Kill the “me too” proof Enterprise logos. Fancy badges and awards. Everyone and their mom has them. But real proof? Screenshots, snappy quotes, before-afters. Specific wins for specific people. That’s what hits hard. Your buyer isn’t here to connect dots. They’re here to get it—fast. Make your messaging obvious. And let the right buyers pre-qualify themselves.