Features, Benefits, and Values 

 

If you have a product or a service, it can sometimes be difficult to articulate coherently the value that your service provides. Using the features, benefits, and values framework can help you demonstrate the impact of your product or solution and what makes your concept different from other competitors or existing solutions. 

 

What are Features? 

Features are the aspects of your concept or idea that are specifically built or designed in a particular way. For example, in a computer, a feature might be the size of the screen or the number of connections. For an app, this might be a menu that has been developed. Think of features as tangible aspects of a concept or an idea. 

 

What are Benefits? 

Benefits are what the user or customer can accomplish because of the features. So if a computer has a large screen, a benefit is that the user can manage multiple tasks at the same time. Similarly, an app with a slick menu design benefits the user by allowing them to navigate the menu easily. A good way to think about benefits is to ask, ‘What can the user achieve with this feature?’  

 

What are Values? 

Values are the reasons why the benefits obtained from a product or service are important to your customer or user. For the large computer screen, being able to manage multiple tasks may mean that a user can get more work done and manage their time better. A well-thought-out menu will provide value as it will save the customer time. A good way to think about value is to ask, ‘How does the benefit obtained improve the lives of my customers?’ 

 

Is Value always the same? 

Different customers or users will get different value from your product. Let’s take the example of the wider screen. For someone who works on multiple projects, having a big screen can be valuable as it helps them manage multiple tasks at the same time. However, for someone who has a visual impairment, having a large screen would help them see information more clearly.  

 

The value your product or solution offers will vary from customer to customer. Your features and benefits, however, will stay the same for every customer or user. The only way to find out the value you provide is through user research and validation. 

Further Support 

For more information on developing your entrepreneurial skills or launching your business idea, book a 1:1 here.