When customers don’t know what you stand for, it’s harder to overcome the conversation they’re having in their heads. Many consumers believe businesses are grossly out of touch with them and no longer care about their needs.

Because of this, companies face a big challenge: Demonstrating that their values match their customers—and doing it in a crowded space where everyone wants to have a voice.

But when defining your unique selling proposition to potential customers, how can you use design to communicate in a way that matters?

We have a few thoughts on that.

Use graphics and color to illustrate customer experiences

Consumers rank customer service as one of the most important considerations they pay attention to when buying. In a PWC survey, buyers were asked what experiences they would find valuable in the future and would be willing to pay more for.

By far, efficiency made the top of the list. But there was also overlap with convenience, speed, and friendly, knowledgeable service. All of which count toward forming positive associations with businesses.

Going into detail about your “top-notch” customer service is probably tempting when marketing to your audience. But people’s attention spans are short. You only have seconds to show them something that captures their interest.

It’s why we recommend using design elements like the ones below to show how you provide excellent customer service:

Presenting data using typography – These design elements, can help show customer-centric facts like the number of people served, certifications and awards. Typographic treatments can also condense important product or technical specs into a digestible format.

Highlighting testimonials with color – Most of the time, testimonials are located below the fold on a website or landing page. Adding a background color or vibrant graphics to this section draws the eye to these essential pieces of content.

Using small, graphic details to emphasize specific experiences – The human eye is attracted to patterns and shapes. Using them as a design element enables people to build associations with various customer experiences.

These design tactics enable you to highlight details about what future buyers can expect from your business. It also allows people to see themselves in the business, making them more likely to buy and feel invested in its success.

Simplify your content to leverage how your customers make decisions

Consumers spend more time researching online than in stores. When people decide whether to buy from a business, they dig deep to learn more about its products, services, and values—especially for high-dollar purchases.

As potential customers research your business, they’ll be on the lookout for any of the top factors that could deter them from buying:

– Poor experiences with employees
– Untrustworthy company
– Lack of product/service availability
– Inefficient technology and shopping experience

To prevent people from developing negative thoughts about your business as they research, you want to be proactive about showing your process. Video case studies provide the reputation indicators potential buyers are searching for. Trust signals are important for customers as they look at testimonials and other reviews.

If it makes sense for your brand, icons—think emojis and other symbols—can quickly indicate to visitors whether an experience, product, or competitive feature is positive or negative. Make your product and service availability stand out with fonts that complement your existing ones. Take it further by using traffic light colors to display your current inventory.

Buyers are more likely to abandon a purchase if they aren’t finding what they’re looking for. Relevance is key. Your graphic’s explanation needs to align with what prospective customers want to do.

Mirroring what customers care about

Customers care about how your products and services make life easier for them. Putting that front and center and talking about the problems your business solves makes a bigger impression on your customers.

Why? They can see themselves—and their life experiences—in what your company offers.

When you want to explain how your merchandise or services benefit customers visually, start by breaking them down into their simplest steps. Then take what you’ve learned about what they’re searching for and reflect it throughout your marketing using graphic elements that get people to act.

Doing this conveys the value your business provides to the people who matter most—your customers.