]]>
The HTML Working Group has published a Working Draft of HTML to Platform Accessibility APIs Implementation Guide. This is draft documentation mapping HTML elements and attributes to accessibility API Roles, States and Properties on a variety of platforms. It provides recommendations on deriving the accessible names and descriptions for HTML elements. It also provides accessible feature implementation examples. Learn more about the HTML Activity.
]]>The XML Query Working Group has published a Last Call Working Draft of XQueryX 3.0. This document defines an XML Syntax for XQuery 3.0: An XML Query Language. Comments are welcome through 22 October. Learn more about the Extensible Markup Language (XML) Activity.
]]>
]]>
You might create spectacular websites, but your efforts can be wasted if your client’s sales pitch doesn’t feature a unique value proposition.
What’s that? It’s a promise that clearly demonstrates why prospects should buy your client’s products or services. It helps them sell more, which benefits their business, and yours.
If the value proposition is missing or weak, you both lose, and the competition wins. Here’s how you can showcase some marketing consulting savviness and help your clients identify and express compelling value propositions.
A value proposition is a promise of value to be delivered. The most persuasive value proposition is one that is clear and concise, promises quantifiable outcomes and unmistakably singles out the value your client is offering over the competition. This makes it a unique value proposition, also known as UVP.
An effective website must answer this direct question: “Why should I do business with you?”
A weak value proposition doesn’t clearly answer this question, often resulting in:
Writing website content using a cookie cutter template or a bunch of buzzwords usually leads to a feeble value proposition that sounds like everyone else’s and doesn’t actually communicate real value. Our content writers call these “me too” value propositions.
To build a convincing case to do business with your clients, ensure your clients’ value propositions are:
When identifying a unique value proposition you’re not formulating value, you’re discovering value that already exists, explains international business advisor Mark Wardell. “It’s already there somewhere,” he says, “but you need to find it and clearly define it.”
Here’s a simple but effective chart you can use to help clients identify their differentiating factors and separate them from the competition.
The red area that overlaps represents areas that the prospect values, however, the features and benefits offered are the same. So there’s no competitive advantage.
On the other hand, the green area captures unique benefits the prospect will reap working with your client. This represents real, unique value, demonstrating why prospects should do business with your clients instead of the competition.
Studying prospects to gain insight into their environment and thought process, and understanding what they want, need and value can be achieved through different means.
Countless market research agencies conduct in-depth studies and can churn out all sorts of data and reports. Regrettably, the price tags are often hefty and prohibitive for small businesses.
You can gather customer insights by spending time on social media sites and forums, interviewing people and conducting surveys.
Here are some questions to help extract useful information from customers:
In most cases, due to financial and time constraints, web designers, developers and copywriters often have to rely solely on business owners, who typically focus on how great their products or services are — the features rather than benefits. And even if your clients are wise enough to point out benefits, you need to determine the benefits of the benefits.
If you ask your clients why prospects should choose them over the competition, and they go into auto pilot and start listing their product or service features, follow up with this question: “So what does it mean to your customer?” The “So what?” query will eventually lead you to benefits and ultimately value.
A discussion might go like this: What makes you different? We have the most comprehensive national distribution system. So what? Well, customers get products directly from our nearest warehouse. So what? The customer always receives their product within two business days. So what? Our competitors typically deliver in four or five days. So what? Customers can rely our quick deliveries. So what? They can relax once they place the order, knowing it’s on its way.
Now we’re getting somewhere! The quick delivery, reliability and ‘peace of mind’ factors could conceivably play a role in the value proposition. If it’s determined prompt delivery and dependability are important to the prospect you have a winner, provided your client can back it up.
Creating differentiation and desire will help boost your engagement and conversion rates, which are heavily influenced by this cost vs. benefits equation:
Perceived Benefits – Perceived Costs = Motivation
You can use this scale to rate and prioritize the ‘values’ that are being considered.
How much do prospects want or need it?
If any value scores a ’3′, this paves the way to differentiation and desire — a powerful combo to establish an effective value proposition. That will help your client grab the prospect’s attention, challenge his current assumptions, and convince him to consider making a change. Only when the prospect cares enough to do something different, can you lead him on a path to choosing your client.
Here are some strong value propositions, which clearly tell prospects why they’re the best choice:
Winners: The latest brand names for up to 60% off
Square: Start accepting credit cards today
Mint: Free online money management
Verizon Wireless: Biggest 4G LTE Coverage
Southwest Airlines: No bag fee
Netflix: Stream movies instantly
Discover Card: Get 5% cash back
The next time your clients come to you with undefined value propositions, help put them in their prospects’ shoes and focus on the ‘what’s in it for me?’ factor.
Building sites around clear, compelling value propositions will allow you to brand and market clients more effectively, boost their conversions and sales, and score you an abundance of good business karma.
Do you work with clients to find UVPs? What tactics do you use to determine them? Let us know in the comments.
Featured image/thumbnail, bright idea image via Shutterstock.
| Get a Pitch Deck Templates – only $17! |  |
    
|
W3C has published the September 2013 edition of Standards for Web Applications on Mobile, an overview of the various technologies developed in W3C that increase the power of Web applications, particularly in the mobile context.
A deliverable of the webinos project, this edition of the document includes changes and additions since March 2013, such as the newly chartered Web and Mobile IG (which will own the next iteration of the document), performance improvements through better scrolling integration and network request priorities, new early proposed approaches for responsive images and filesystem management. The report also shows graphically recent editorial activity for all the specs that it tracks
Learn more about the Web and Mobile Devices.
]]>|
|
October is Relationship Violence Awareness Month
For this year's Relationship Violence Awareness Month at UMBC, we're honoring the the experiences and stories of survivors of interpersonal violence through signature events like the Clothesline Project but also focusing on how to create healthy relationships. After all, how can we work to reduce abusive relationships if we're not having conversations about what healthy relationships are?
This October, the Women's Center and University Health Services invite you to join one or more of our many events in recognition of Relationship Violence Awareness Month. Click on the link below to download the calendar of events, workshops and a new video contest.
Over the summer, Natnael worked in the Transcription Regulation Section of a cancer research lab at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) in Bethesda. He plans to complete his B.S. in Chemical Engineering in 2015 and apply for an MD/PhD program or medical school.
What research have you been doing this summer?
I have been working in a lab at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, MD. I specifically work in a Transcription Regulation Section of a cancer research lab at the National Cancer Institute (NCI).
How did you find out about this opportunity? Was there a formal application process?
I found about the internship through a friend who interned at NIH a while back and he recommended I apply.
Who did you work with on this project?
I directly work with the PI, Staff Scientist, a Postdoc (my daily supervisor) and a Postbac who actually graduated from UMBC last year.
Was this your first independent research project?
This is my second time in this same lab. I started last summer and they offered me a chance to come back and continue the work this summer.
Do you get course credit for this work or get paid?
Yes, I did get paid for the internship. I don’t know if Prac 98 counts as a credit but I did get that for last summer internship and I will also be getting it for this summer internship as well. I also got a notation on my Official School Transcript.
How much time do you put into it?
On average I put in about 6-8 hours a day for about 6 weeks.
What academic background did you have before you started?
My background is in Biology, Chemistry and Statistics.
How did you learn what you needed to know to be successful in this summer project?
The first and most important thing I learned is to ask questions about anything I don’t understand or am confused about. I learned I had to put in a good effort and hard work to succeed and get what I wanted from the internship. I also learned to talk to other summer interns and learn and exchange information.
What has been the hardest part about your work this summer?
Some of the scientific experiments I performed are really complex and far from the theories I learned in class. Also, I am not good at networking with different people so I had a bit of a hard time initiating a conversation with people I knew would be helpful.
What was the most unexpected thing?
How helpful and easy to approach people are in research; they are always eager to help as long as you ask for it. Also, the manner in which theories from class apply in a real scenario, it was simply amazing to witness.
How does this research experience relate to your course work?
I am currently in the Bio track of Chemical Engineering at UMBC, so I take Biology, Chemistry and Biochemistry classes and this research has helped me understand the things I have learned during my years at UMBC . It has helped cement the concepts I have learned in class.
What is your advice to other students about getting involved in research?
Start early, prepare a good application. This means getting to know your Professor early at class so you can develop a good relationship and you can get a good recommendation because often times your competition has either as good a GPA as you do or even better, so you need something that can set you apart and recommendation letters are one of those things. Go to the Shriver Center. Find students who have done internships before and ask questions.
What are your career goals?
I plan to complete my B.S in Chemical Engineering and either apply for an MD/PhD program or Medical school.
What else are you involved in on campus?
I am involved in AICHE, NSBE, Pre-Med Society and I am also involved in a new organization called “Unite Africa”.
Read his abstract here...
]]>W3C published today the final report of the August Social Standards: The Future of Business Workshop, organized jointly with the OpenSocial Foundation. W3C thanks AppFusions for hosting the event, and IBM and the Open Mobile Alliance for their sponsorship.
This Workshop provided a way for the social business and technical community to create a roadmap for standardizing the currently fragmented social landscape in order to make social a first-class part of the Open Web Platform. Participants discussed how social can revolutionize the enterprise and next steps for technologies such as OpenSocial and ActivityStreams, both of which are in early stages of revision. This workshop was the culmination of the activity of the Social Business Community Group.
Participants of the Workshop agreed that W3C should create a Working Group defining standards around social, ranging from APIs to profile federation, as well as a community group around property graphs. Collaboration with the OpenSocial Foundation, Open Mobile Alliance, ActivityStreams community, and many other groups in order will be one of the keys to creating the next generation of standards for the social web. We anticipate one or more draft charters will be available in the coming weeks.
]]>