Fintech Product Marketing Blueptint – Brex

Overview

Is your website not converting to your expectations? Most sites don’t because they’re designed with vanilla usability in mind.

In today’s product marketing deep-dive, I’ll show how ‘Brand’ builds a compelling persuasion ladder on their home page – one that walks a new prospect from curiosity to conversion effortlessly

• without resorting to jargon
• without getting people stuck in the weeds
• OR skipping needed info in the name of minimalism

First Impression

The first impression of Brex’s product marketing webpage in financial services is clean and visually appealing. The black and white aesthetic draws attention to both the navigation and the value proposition, making it easy for visitors to understand the purpose of the page. The Calls to Action also stand out nicely, prompting visitors to take the next step. However, the image used on the page is a tad distracting, as it takes some time to figure out what it is, potentially causing a slight disruption in the overall user experience.

Action List:

• Use a clean and visually appealing aesthetic for the webpage, with a focus on the navigation and value proposition.
• Ensure that Calls to Action stand out prominently, prompting visitors to take the next step.
• Carefully select and use images that enhance the user experience and do not distract or confuse visitors.

Navigation

The analysis of Brex’s product marketing webpage revealed that the navigation has significantly improved compared to the previous version, despite having fewer items. The key insight is to focus on selecting the right starting points for the navigation, rather than fixating on the number of items. It is important to map the primary navigation to desirable customer journeys, ensuring that the content is concise and relevant.

Action List:

• Identify the primary customer journeys for your product or service
• Limit the number of items in the navigation to no more than 7
• Ensure that the navigation items are aligned with the desirable customer journeys
• Keep the content in the navigation concise and relevant, with a 250-300 word limit
• Regularly review and update the navigation based on customer feedback and analytics data.

Value Proposition

The analysis of Brex’s product marketing webpage in financial services revealed that the value proposition and subhead were not effectively communicating the company’s unique selling points. The use of generic terms like “AI-powered” did not effectively differentiate Brex from its competitors, and the subhead was disconnected from the value proposition. In contrast, the previous value proposition was clear and directly tied to the company’s goals, with the subhead reinforcing the value proposition.

The key insight from this analysis is the importance of aligning the value proposition with the primary pain points of the target customers. It is also crucial to clarify the value proposition of the primary feature before delving into supporting features, in order to effectively communicate the product’s benefits to potential customers.

Action list:

• Identify the primary pain points of your target customers and align your value proposition with these pain points.
• Clearly articulate the value proposition of your primary feature before discussing supporting features.
• Ensure that the subhead reinforces the value proposition and effectively communicates the unique selling points of your product.

Primary Feature

The primary feature of ‘Spend in one unified platform’ should be the focal point of the homepage, as it is the most compelling and unique aspect of the product. The subhead and the four content blocks effectively highlight the key pillars of the platform, providing a clear and concise overview of its capabilities. The crisp, action-oriented copy is the perfect length, allowing for easy consumption of information, while also providing links for those who want to delve deeper into the details.

Action List:

• Identify the most compelling and unique feature of your product or service and make it the focal point of your homepage.
• Create a subhead and content blocks that effectively highlight the key pillars of your platform or offering, providing a clear and concise overview of its capabilities.
• Craft crisp, action-oriented copy that is the perfect length for easy consumption of information, while also providing links for those who want to delve deeper into the details.

Features

The analysis of Brex’s product marketing webpage in financial services revealed several key findings. The supporting features are effectively highlighted with persuasive copywriting that emotionally touches on pain points, such as the ease of use. Additionally, the inclusion of a Q&A bot hints at the use of AI, although this could be made more obvious by labeling the image as an ‘AI-Assistant’. The integration of testimonials with key product features further elevates and differentiates their offerings. The use of plain language headlines that directly address pain points is also refreshing, and the 3-stage simplification approach of removing jargon, simplifying with a pain point in mind, and making the content conversational is effective in making complex products more understandable.

To create a similar persuasive ladder on their own marketing page, individuals can take the following actions:

• Use persuasive copywriting to emotionally touch on pain points and highlight supporting features
• Clearly label any AI-related features to make them more obvious to visitors
• Curate and connect testimonials to key product features to elevate and differentiate offerings
• Use plain language headlines that directly address pain points
• Implement a 3-stage simplification approach to make complex products more understandable:
• Remove jargon
• Simplify with a pain point in mind
• Make the content conversational

By following these actions, individuals can create a compelling persuasion ladder on their marketing page, effectively walking new prospects from curiosity to conversion.

Proof

The analysis of Brex’s product marketing webpage revealed that their testimonials are highly effective in conveying the benefits of their product to potential customers. Each testimonial directly addresses a specific feature, demonstrates a clear benefit to the user, and evokes an emotional response. However, it was suggested that incorporating videos into the testimonials would further enhance their impact.

Additionally, it was noted that while PR links are provided at the bottom of the page, concrete data such as satisfaction numbers, usage by company size, geographic coverage, and actual G2 scores would be more compelling for potential customers.

To replicate Brex’s success with testimonials, it is recommended to gather testimonials or proof points that support key features and benefits of the product. These testimonials should be personal and emotional, directly addressing specific features and demonstrating clear benefits to the user. Additionally, incorporating videos into the testimonials would further enhance their impact. Furthermore, providing concrete data such as satisfaction numbers, usage by company size, geographic coverage, and actual G2 scores would add credibility and persuasiveness to the testimonials.

Call to Action

The analysis of Brex’s product marketing webpage revealed a lack of consistent calls to action, with only links provided in each section instead of clear buttons for ‘Contact Sales’, ‘Sign up’, or ‘Explore Product’. The ‘Contact Sales’ form also needs to be rethought, as it does not effectively connect the user with the right team member and the generic PII form fields do not provide a personalized experience. Additionally, the testimonials do not reinforce the idea that Sales will guide the user to the right person, which may lead to potential customers feeling chased by salespeople if they determine that Brex is not the right fit for them.

To create a similar effective call to action on their own marketing page, businesses can consider the following action list:

• Clearly display buttons for ‘Contact Sales’, ‘Sign up’, or ‘Explore Product’ in each section of the webpage
• Rethink the ‘Contact Sales’ form to ensure it effectively connects the user with the right team member and provides a personalized experience
• Use testimonials that reinforce the idea that Sales will guide the user to the right person, creating a more positive and reassuring experience for potential customers
• Avoid making potential customers feel chased by salespeople by providing clear and helpful information on the next steps for those who determine that the product or service may not be the right fit for them.

Customer Journey

Brex’s product marketing webpage effectively targets the financial user segment, specifically CFOs and other financial professionals. The use of industry-specific language and content tailored to this audience makes the page highly relevant and engaging for its target users. Additionally, the webpage focuses on the Solution-aware stage of the user buying journey, providing information and content that is relevant to users who are already aware of the solutions available and are in the process of shortlisting options. This targeted approach prevents the webpage from under- or over-explaining, which is a common pitfall for many brands in the financial services industry.

Action List:

• Identify your target customer segment and tailor your content and language to resonate with this audience
• Determine which stage of the user buying journey your product or service best aligns with (Problem-aware or Solution-aware)
• Focus your webpage content on the identified stage of the user buying journey, providing relevant information and avoiding unnecessary explanations
• Use industry-specific language and terminology where appropriate, but avoid overwhelming users with jargon throughout the entire webpage.

Objections

The analysis of Brex’s product marketing webpage revealed a lack of addressing common objections, particularly in regards to the ease of switching to their services. The webpage fails to provide clear information on how easy it is to integrate with Brex and how the company assists with the transition process. Additionally, common questions about company fit, support, and integration support are not addressed through links or an FAQ module, leaving potential customers with unanswered concerns.

Action List:

• Clearly address common objections such as ease of integration and transition assistance on the marketing webpage
• Provide detailed information on company fit, support, and integration support through links or an FAQ module to address potential customer concerns
• Use clear and concise language to address objections without resorting to jargon or getting stuck in unnecessary details.

Recap

The analysis of Brex’s product marketing webpage in financial services reveals a strongly persuasive page that effectively explains a complex product without resorting to jargon or getting lost in unnecessary details. The page successfully walks new prospects through a persuasion ladder, guiding them from curiosity to conversion seamlessly. The content is clear and concise, avoiding fluff while still providing the necessary information for potential customers to make an informed decision. Overall, the page scores a 4 out of 5 for its persuasive and informative approach.

• Clearly outline the product or service being offered without using excessive jargon
• Guide potential customers through a persuasion ladder, from initial curiosity to conversion
• Provide necessary information without overwhelming the audience with unnecessary details
• Maintain a clear and concise writing style, avoiding fluff while still delivering essential information
• Score the effectiveness of the page on a scale to measure its persuasive and informative approach

Miss

Findings: The analysis of Brex’s product marketing webpage revealed a significant miss in the presentation of their value proposition and the lack of coherent product images. The value proposition was not clearly communicated, leaving visitors unsure of the benefits of the product. Additionally, the product images were not cohesive and did not effectively showcase the features and benefits of the financial services offered by Brex.

Hit

The analysis of Brex’s product marketing webpage in financial services revealed a significant hit in the form of their copywriting. The page effectively communicates complex financial information in a way that is easy for individuals at all levels, from CEO to CFO, to understand. This is a challenging task, as it requires striking a balance between simplicity and specificity for finance teams. Brex’s webpage achieves this by using language that is accessible to a wide audience while still addressing the specific needs and concerns of finance professionals.

Steal

The analysis of Brex’s product marketing webpage in financial services revealed a compelling persuasion ladder that effectively guides new prospects from curiosity to conversion. One standout feature is the strategic pairing of product features with customer testimonials. This approach provides concrete evidence of the product’s value while also showcasing real-life success stories, creating a powerful combination of information and social proof. This not only builds credibility but also addresses potential objections and concerns that prospects may have, ultimately leading them towards conversion.