What are Good Product Features?
Product features are unique aspects and characteristics of the product that make it appealing to the end-users. These product features can be in terms of the looks of the product, functionality, objective, usability, etc.
An example of this can be a shoe described as black in color with breathable fabric fit for summer.
Good product features can be described as the ones that are primarily marketed by the brand for maximum sales. Good features are of great value to end-users and perfectly align with customer needs.
An example of this that I can provide is when Instagram launched reels while TikTok was banned in India. It was an epic move to target the audience and fulfill the business objectives. Here are some more examples of good product features!
- Thin appearance of the watch
- Heated car seats
- Auto-opening car space
- Foldable phone
And more!
- Functional features
Functional features are the ones that are related to the core functionality of the product.
For example, a mobile phone with 5G connectivity is a functional feature. Moreover, a battery with a 12-hour backup is a functional feature.
Functional features are counted as the right features to depict the value proposition of the product.
- Non-functional features
These are not related to the product functionality. Non-functional features focus on providing add-on value to the customer.
For example, a mobile phone with a flashlight is a non-functional feature. An electric scooter with some storage space is a non-functional feature.
What is The Need For Unique Product Features?
There are several brands and products in the market that wouldn't have existed without some unique features. Some examples of this are Netflix, Amazon, Instagram, AWS, Dyson, etc.
Here are some reasons why unique product features are necessary!
- Product differentiation
When you deliver a feature to your customers in the market that is not available in any other product, will you create a product differentiation? This will directly impact your sales and revenue.
Besides, when you incorporate features that are unique, such as the dynamic Island in Apple iPhone, you can charge a premium amount.
- To understand the customer's need
No matter if it is a software program or a physical product, unique product features can be used to understand customer needs in both of them. For example, some softwares provides certain unique features in the premium version of the software.
Businesses can do the same before releasing a major feature in the software or product. They can provide it on a premium basis. And if the demand increases, it can be included in the primary software with a higher price tag. Testing new features in this way can help you understand your user preferences.
Here is how attitudinal research can help you with user research!
- Build brand identity
The product management, product manager, and product team puts a lot of effort into designing the product vision. It includes all the features of the product along with its use and the audience it will be used by.
This is necessary as introducing unique features in the product vision helps in building brand identity. An excellent example of this is the dynamic Island. It is an innovative feature introduced by Apple in its iPhone and serves as the brand's flagship feature.
- Market Demand and Growth
It will be astonishing for you to find out that 34 percent of startups fail due to a lack of market-fit products. Therefore, it is necessary to study the market demand. Highlighting unique features of your product can help you uncover valuable insights about your customer’s preferences.
Hence, with your marketing campaign, you can attach a quick survey for your users to know about their preferences. These preferences can help you generate user stories, which will further help you build a better product development strategy, including prioritization of necessary features to build.
Best Ways to Highlight Product Features For The Customers | A Product Roadmap!
It's time to deal with the elephant in the room, i.e., how to highlight the product features and what features to highlight. I have broken down the process into a step-by-step procedure.
- Research your audience
Begin by understanding your audience. If you are launching a new phone, you must consider different audiences to target them with specific features. For example, some might use the smartphone for the camera and others for gaming.
You can segment your audience based on personas by creating dedicated surveys and capturing user feedback via analytics. It helps you target them with specific product features for maximum sales.
- Define your USP
USP is defined as a unique selling proposition. This includes the features that make your product unique from the others. You have to highlight these features before the customers trigger them to try and buy the product.
- Include features section
We know that people's attention span is significantly shorter. Therefore, when describing your product online, ensure you include a section dedicated to its features.
As descriptions can be boring sometimes, using a bulleted list with clear and concise one-liners about the product features is better. You can also add the benefits of the features to engage your customers.
- Highlight the crucial aspects.
Your product may have a plethora of features. But not all of them would deserve a spot on the top. Make sure you filter the most crucial features of your product and highlight them at the top of the list.
For example, if you are selling a tripod stand, you can add features like maximum height, compatible devices, and the type of material on the top, as these are what customers look for.
If you are seeking subscriptions for a streaming service, you can highlight the print quality, content library size, and sharing options at the top. Several interactive templates can be used to highlight the features.
- Discuss benefits
In my personal opinion, the number one rule of making sales is to highlight the benefits of a product. Customers have nothing to do with the phone's 2.3 GHz clock speed or 48-megapixel camera.
The customer only understands that the game will run smoothly without lag, and they can take better and clearer pictures for their social media handle. Therefore, it is best to highlight the benefits governed by the features of the product.
- Add high-quality images and descriptions.
Statistics suggest that 56% of users’ first action was to begin exploring product images after arriving on the product details page. Therefore, it is crucial to add high-quality images of the product (tangible or intangible) on the website.
Besides, it is also necessary to add detailed descriptions of the product features and the benefits for maximum output.
- Use simple, clear, and concise language.
In the hope of convincing the user, many of us try to burden them with features and benefits in the form of long paragraphs. I would not recommend this. Instead, focus on creating concise one or two-liners explaining the features and benefits.
You can use a bulleted list, headings, and sub-headings to describe the features, making them easy for users to scan and digest.
- Include social proof and testimonials.
If you prioritize your product features and want to make them authentic, nothing can be more helpful than social proof and testimonials. You see, all the brands are describing almost the same features of their products. However, including actual social proof, like images and videos of the users using the product, can build trust and credibility.
As per statistics, around 88% of consumers trust user reviews, just like personal recommendations. On sites like Amazon, user reviews include images and videos as social proofs for potential customers.
- Invest in information content such as blogs and emails.
Whether your new product is physical or software, you can invest in blogs and emails. The capability of these content pieces is underestimated. However, when done with proper SEO, blogs can be the best way to explain the features and benefits of the product to people as well as stakeholders.
Unlike online descriptions, blogs allow you to dig a bit deeper into understanding the overall product.
- Provide how-to guides
Just linked with the previous point, the key to making a successful product is to help users understand its features and benefits. One of the ways to do this is by providing them with how-to guides.
A how-to guide can provide users with in-depth knowledge about the product. Moreover, they can also learn how to use the product correctly.
Bonus Steps
- Use homepage
Finding things to buy online can be a hassle today, especially when you have to juggle multiple pages to get it. When you are marketing your product features, it is best to highlight those features on your home page and then lead them to the product page.
This saves time and helps build quality leads.
- Cross-reference other products
There can be products in your portfolio that have the same features. You can cross-reference such products so that users can easily navigate to the product pages that impress them the most.
They might even find more affordable products with features that the users don't need.
Learn about the best product testing survey questions for the best products.
Best Examples Of Highlighting Product Features
It is surefire that following these methods to highlight product features will surely impact your audience. For your inspiration, here is an overview of some classic examples.
- Apple
Apple has always been a titan in the tech sector. With time, it launched several innovative features on its flagship device, the iPhone. But the iPhone 14 was different.
While launching the iPhone 14, Apple stunningly marketed the dynamic Island feature, initially making buyers rush after the Pro model of the iPhone.
- Amazon
Amazon is the master of marketing the product features. Not only does the eCommerce brand highlight the features along with concise descriptions and high-quality images.
It also allows users to add images and videos of the products they purchase to generate social proof for future buyers.
Conclusion
Based on the methods described to highlight product features and the practical examples, it is safe to say that the way product features are presented matters a lot. Moreover, having unique features in your product can seriously put you ahead in the market competition.
However, all of this depends on how the customers perceive it, i.e., presenting the right features to the right audience. To ensure that the right audience sees your product features, you need to segment them based on their preferences.
You can rely on the Qwary suite of tools to understand your audience and present them with the right product features.
FAQs
- How do you highlight your product?
There are several ways to highlight the product's features, including adding social proofs, using high-quality images, creating clear and concise copy, using straightforward and scalable content, etc.
- What are the 4 product features?
The top 4 product feature categories are design, quality, functionality, and experience.
- How can surveys help in promoting product features?
Not directly, but user surveys can help you understand your audience's preferences and needs. Based on this, you can highlight the respective product features to the target audience.
