Figure 4-19. Organic search results for the term “pest control”
The page does not present a congruent message because:
Although peace of mind and being a trusted family company are values that are important to visitors, they are not the prime motivation for the visit.
The page is overwhelmed by the value proposition, which takes away from the actual service the site is offering.
Although this company presents a wonderful value proposition, it is increasing friction because of the disconnect among the search, the service, and the messages suggested on the page.
Can those messages work harmoniously? Yes, but you don’t want them to be competing and confusing the user. Again, congruency is achieved when all of the elements work together to support the value proposition and primary conversion goal of the page.
Your pages should be built to address visitor intent. The value proposition should tie in directly to the service or product you are offering. Figure 4-21 displays the landing page for Compel, a marketing and web design service. After an initial search for web design services on Google, Compel was listed as one of the first results in the area. The home page does not indicate what Compel offers. The headlines below the main image do not clearly indicate what the site is about. The words Conceive, Connect, and Compete are meaningless to a user looking for a design solution.
Product or service pages must maintain congruency as well. Every element on the page must reemphasize the importance of the product and service by giving the user the confidence to move through the conversion process. Figure 4-22 displays the different ways Zappos reemphasizes its commitment to unmatched customer care. Also notice how Zappos removed the left navigation panel on its product page to emphasize the product (primary conversion goal) and not take away from the overall value it is offering. Again, a value proposition has to support the main objective, which is ultimately to sell products on the site. Congruency lends credibility and authenticity to the value you are offering.
The Nike Shox product page, shown in Figure 4-23, displays the features, images, and a brief description of the product. All the elements on the page support one goal: to sell the shoe. You should use caution when attempting to cross-sell or upsell on product pages, since these promotional messages can distract the user from converting. Remember, there is no salesperson to convince the visitor that the product is right for her, so the page has to do all the talking. Congruency is essentially the salesperson attempting to convince the user that not only is the product offering wonderful, but the value is unattainable anywhere else.
