“What is a grunt test?”
As a StoryBrand guide, I often hear:
“Our website is getting traffic, but we’re not making sales. We’ve tried everything, SEO, Google Adwords, social media but we’re still not growing as fast as we should be.”
If you experience this issue, chances are, your website message is unclear and it is causing you to lose customers.
Grunt Test: A Vital Tool in StoryBrand Marketing
There are countless things we can do to improve your website, but for now, let’s focus on the Grunt Test. Why?
Storybrand Marketing is a marketing strategy that helps businesses clarify their message, simplify their messaging and focus on what they do best.
The Grunt Test is a part of this strategy, and it helps businesses determine whether their messaging is clear, concise and compelling.
Why is the Grunt Test so important?
Because in today’s fast-paced and cluttered world, people are bombarded with information from all directions. They don’t have the time or attention span to sort through complex or confusing messages.
So, if you want your message to cut through the noise and make an impact, it needs to be simple, clear, and easy to understand.
The magic of the grunt test is, it’s quick to fix and will cost you almost nothing – you can literally do this yourself, and fast!
The response from your potential customers will be almost immediate. You’ll be making more sales overnight!
What is the Grunt Test?
If a prehistoric caveman were to look at your website, could they “grunt” exactly what you do just by looking at the homepage? (There are three questions you need to answer in order to ‘pass’ the Grunt Test….. I will get to that in just a second).
The “caveman” can be considered anyone who lands on your website and has never heard of your business before.
The fact is, the human brain has a natural instinct to “survive and thrive’, meaning that our brains will filter out anything unnecessary or confusing. Your brain is wired to conserve calories.
The human mind is drawn toward simplicity and clarity, and away from noise and confusion. Especially in todays society, where we are exposed to thousands of marketing ads daily. And if I were to ask you to list 5 of those ads, and what it was they were trying to sell you, could you answer?
As a business owner or marketer, you might look at your website and be in love. You might think your message is clear, but do your potential customers know how you solve their problems?
The GRUNT TEST
Here it is. When someone lands on your website, you have 5 seconds to answer these three questions:
What is it that you offer?
Is it a product or a service? If it’s a service, is there an easier way to articulate your offerings? Are you in retail and want to frame your business as a brand?
Eg: if you are selling ‘water slides’, then say ‘water slides’. If you are a builder say ‘construction’ or ‘builder’.
How will it make my life better or why should I care about what you sell?
It should answer these questions: What problem does your service solve for the customer? What pain point do you address with your products or services?
This is where you can invoke a positive emotion: eg: Slides: Bring the fun back to your pool or Builder: Build a home that will create generational stories
What do I need to do to buy?
What is the next step you want your potential customer to take? A lead magnet with an opt-in form, a demo of your services, or the purchase button (which should be more clear)?
It could be ‘Start Here’, ‘Schedule A Call’, ‘Begin Here’
Be clear and simple. If you are a builder don’t say something like this:
“Jones & Co. We create sublime, eco-friendly, award-winning living spaces.”
Instead, just say “Jones & Co. Builders. We build quality homes – without the stress.”
Clarity in communication always leads to more sales.
The Bottom Line is This…
Find a stranger, show them your website (without scrolling, just the header) and ask them if they know what you do & how you can help them.
If they respond with a simple “grunt” of understanding, then your message is likely clear and easy to understand and you have passed the grunt test.
If, on the other hand, your message elicits confusion, questions, or a blank stare, then it’s likely too complex and needs to be simplified.
Using the Grunt Test will save your business a lot of time and money. If your brand message is unclear, it will not resonate with your target audience and all your marketing efforts will not be as effective.
A clear brand message is essential for success, and the Grunt Test is a simple and efficient way to ensure clarity.
Want to learn how to use the grunt test more effectively?
Want to understand how to create a concise, compelling story of your business and start attracting you dream client?
Visit us and schedule a call now!
See how our team can drive an insane amount of highly targeted traffic to your website and then convert it.
Websites that sell:
Most websites don’t convert, your’s will.
SEO that ranks:
Get on the first page of Google, guaranteed.
Ads that work:
Clear predictable returns.
Content Marketing:
Our team will create the images, write the articles and grow your brand.
(Also read: How to tell if your Website passes the StoryBrand Grunt Test?)
