Once people know your product exists, the next step is helping them understand what it is, how it works, and why it’s relevant to them. This stage is about answering questions, building trust, and giving your audience the information they need to see the value in what you offer.
What Happens During the Understanding Stage?
At this stage, your audience is curious and wants more details. They might not be ready to buy yet, but they’re open to learning. This is your chance to position your product as the solution to their problem, without overwhelming them with too much information.
Key Goals
- Explain your product clearly.
- Highlight how it solves their problem.
- Build trust through transparency.
Strategies to Communicate Effectively at the Understanding Stage
- Provide Clear, Detailed Explanations
- Break down what your product does and how it works in simple terms.
- Example: A financial planning app might create a blog post titled “How Our App Helps You Save for Big Goals Without Cutting Out What You Love.” This content shows exactly what the app does and how it fits into their audience’s lives.
- Address Common Questions
- Think about the hesitations or confusion your audience might have. Use FAQs, demos, or guides to address these directly.
- Example: A meal kit delivery service might include an FAQ section on their website that answers, “What if I have dietary restrictions?” or “Can I skip a week?”
- Use Comparisons or Analogies
- Comparing your product to familiar things helps people quickly understand what makes it unique and grasp your unique value proposition.
- Example: A cloud storage company might say, “Think of us as a digital filing cabinet, but one that’s accessible anywhere and never runs out of space.”
- Show, Don’t Just Tell
- Use visuals, demonstrations, or interactive tools to illustrate what your product can do.
- Example: A home design app might create a video showing how users can virtually place furniture in their room using AR, instead of just describing the feature.
- Highlight Benefits, Not Just Features
- Explain how your product makes life easier or solves a specific pain point. We call this moving from features to a call to value.
- Example: Instead of saying, “Our headphones have noise-cancellation technology,” say, “Our headphones let you focus on your work, even in noisy environments.”
Types of Content for the Understanding Stage
- Explainer Videos: Short videos that break down your product’s key features and benefits.
- Example: A video editing tool creates a video titled “How to Edit a Video in Just 5 Minutes with Our App.”
- Detailed Blog Posts or Guides: Content that dives into how your product works.
- Example: A project management tool writes a guide, “How to Manage Remote Teams Using Our Platform.”
- Webinars or Live Demos: Interactive sessions that show your product in action.
- Example: A CRM platform hosts a webinar called “Boosting Sales with Automated Follow-Ups.”
Measuring Success at the Understanding Stage
At this stage, you’re looking for signs that people are engaging with your content and learning more about your product:
- Page Views: Are people reading your guides or FAQs?
- Video Watch Time: Are they watching your explainer videos to the end?
- Sign-Ups for Demos: Are they taking the next step to see how your product works?
Final Thoughts
The understanding stage is all about answering the “What is it, and how does it help me?” question. By providing clear, helpful information and addressing common questions, you’ll move people closer to seeing your product as the solution they need, and ready for the consideration stage.
The Customer Journey Communication Series
This article is part of a seven-part series on product communication:
- Overview: communicating at every stage of the customer journey
- Stage 1: Awareness
- Stage 2: Understanding (you are here)
- Stage 3: Consideration
- Stage 4: Conversion
- Stage 5: Retention
- Stage 6: Advocacy
Not sure what your website or product should say at each stage? At Artifact, we help product and marketing teams map the customer journey and turn it into clear messaging, design, and conversion-ready pages. Tell us about your project.
