TLDR

According to Gartner, the typical software buyer only spends about 17% of their time meeting with potential suppliers when considering a purchase. That means more than 80% of a buyer’s time is spent researching potential solutions online. 

Take that in. 

In today’s world, if you can’t get your message across to potential buyers fast, it’s unlikely they are going to buy you vs others who can. 

The Website Acid Test from The Go to Market Handbook For B2B SaaS Leaders can be a valuable tool for helping you build more effective messaging and craft a professional story that sells… fast. 

The Whole Lesson

The business world is full of frameworks, tools, thought leadership and “thought leaders”.  Despite all of the outright garbage there is out there, every now and then, you come across something great that can be applied to multiple situations in several tangible, practical ways. 

One of the books I recently finished hits it out of the park in this regard, The Go to Market Handbook For B2B SaaS Leaders. If you are in the market for a practical playbook for how to build a Go to Market engine, this is a great place to start. It’s definitely on my list of go to Product Marketing resources. 

In Chapter 6, there’s an awesome discussion about understanding the natural demand dynamics in any given market and how Founders need to think about capturing it. One of my favorite parts of the chapter though is a list of questions described as “the messaging acid test”. It’s eight simple questions every prospective buyer must be able to answer by looking at your company’s website. For the purposes of this article, I’ve renamed it the “Website Acid Test”.  

According to Gartner, the typical software buyer only spends about 17% of their time meeting with potential suppliers when considering a purchase. Take that in. That means more than 80% of a buyer’s time is spent researching potential solutions online. 

It makes sense right? How much time did you spend researching the latest thing you bought online before talking to a salesperson? 

So what is the Website Acid Test and how should you use it? 

The Website Acid Test

The Website Test is eight simple questions a B2B buyer must be able to answer to move into a more intentional stage of the purchase journey. These questions are not only designed to create clarity, they are structured for speed. 

As the authors describe, “People don’t buy the best products, they buy the products they can understand the quickest. “

Here they are: 

1. Is this thing for me? 

2. What benefits will I get? 

3. Does it meet the use case I have in mind? 

4. Is this going to fix my problem? 

5. How much does it cost? 

6. Do other people like me use it and have they gotten benefit? 

7. How quickly will it take to get to value? 

8. How do I buy or get started? 

Where to Use the Website Acid Test

What I love about the Website Acid Test is how versatile it is. 

It’s a fantastic way to audit your product messaging, your sales pitches / processes, the content you create and of course, helps you create a kick ass website for your product or business. 

The Website Acid Test is also a great way to evaluate how well you can effectively speak to your own professional story. In today’s job market, everyone needs to craft a compelling story and position for themselves to stand out. Look at your LinkedIn profile, your resume, how you describe your experiences and the companies you would want to work for. If you can clearly, quickly and succinctly answer the questions of the Website Acid Test from the perspective of your “buyer”, you’ll be well on your way to being an expert Marketer of yourself. 

Wrapping Up

As you can hopefully see, The Website Acid Test is a simple, effective and intuitive tool anyone can use to be a better Marketer (even if you aren’t one). It can improve marketing and sales efficiency and extends to helping you evaluate your personal brand or professional storytelling. As businesses and individuals continue to strive for clarity, speed, and relevance in their communication, this framework can become indispensable in helping you and your business stand out.

Until next time, 

Ginger P.

The Ginger Professor explicitly represents the personal thoughts and views of the author only. It does not reflect the thoughts or views of any current or former employer or client of the author. All information referenced and contained in the article enclosed is for informational purposes only and does not represent advice of any kind.