Leave with a testable positioning statement and a list of evidence needed to support it.
Start with a real buying situation
For the worked example, the audience is the owner of an online store. Their problem is that customers hesitate at product selection or checkout. The desired practical outcome is a prioritised set of customer-journey improvements.
The example is deliberately bounded: changes must preserve payment, inventory and fulfilment integrations. That condition should influence the promise, scope and next step rather than disappear from the marketing copy.
| Illustrative offer | a store conversion and merchandising review |
|---|---|
| Buyer question | Where does a customer need information that the store does not provide? |
| Possible evidence | a recorded walkthrough with observed friction and a testable hypothesis |
| Useful asset | a product-page and checkout review checklist |
How to complete your positioning worksheet
- Name the customer and the situation in which they need help.
- Describe the alternative they use today.
- Choose the most relevant difference your offer can demonstrate.
- Connect that difference to a useful customer outcome.
- Test the statement in conversation and ask people to repeat what they understood.
Worked example
These entries are illustrative planning material, not research findings or customer results. Keep the structure and replace the content with verified details.
| For this customer and situation | Ecommerce agencies buyers, especially the owner of an online store, dealing with this issue: customers hesitate at product selection or checkout. |
|---|---|
| The current alternative | An existing provider, an internal process or no change. Ask which alternative the buyer actually uses. |
| Our relevant difference | A clearly scoped offer and visible evidence: a recorded walkthrough with observed friction and a testable hypothesis. |
| Evidence we can show | Use a recorded walkthrough with observed friction and a testable hypothesis; check whether it answers the buyer’s uncertainty. |
| The short positioning statement | For the owner of an online store, our a store conversion and merchandising review helps work towards a prioritised set of customer-journey improvements. Evaluate it through review one product category and one checkout journey. |
Review before using it
A useful operational measure in this example is checkout completion for a defined audience and period. That does not automatically make it a marketing attribution metric. Define the source, period and owner before drawing conclusions.
- Does the statement distinguish the offer without inventing a claim about competitors?
- Check the delivery assumptions: Define platform access, implementation, measurement and rollback responsibility.
- Use evidence rather than promises. A heuristic review does not prove a conversion uplift.
- Discuss the draft with someone who understands the buying situation. Start with: “Where does a customer need information that the store does not provide?”
- If the next step is a trial, define its purpose. One possible starting point is to review one product category and one checkout journey.
Common mistakes and a better review
Do not fill a missing fact with an impressive-sounding number. Mark it as an assumption, explain how you will check it and give that check an owner. A short, honest document is easier to use than an elaborate plan built on unknowns.
| Watch for | Words such as innovative or premium add little when they have no observable meaning. |
|---|---|
| A real buyer concern | We only want more traffic. |
| Useful response direction | More traffic may help, but let us first check whether visitors can choose the product and complete checkout without avoidable friction. |
| Evidence to collect | The buyer’s own account, a recorded walkthrough with observed friction and a testable hypothesis, and records relevant to checkout completion for a defined audience and period. |
Your working sheet
Write your own version below. Notes are saved on this browser when local storage is available. Use Download to keep a separate copy; avoid adding confidential information on a shared device.
Example: Ecommerce agencies buyers, especially the owner of an online store, dealing with this issue: customers hesitate at product selection or checkout.
Example: An existing provider, an internal process or no change. Ask which alternative the buyer actually uses.
Example: A clearly scoped offer and visible evidence: a recorded walkthrough with observed friction and a testable hypothesis.
Example: Use a recorded walkthrough with observed friction and a testable hypothesis; check whether it answers the buyer’s uncertainty.
Example: For the owner of an online store, our a store conversion and merchandising review helps work towards a prioritised set of customer-journey improvements. Evaluate it through review one product category and one checkout journey.
Review your work
Tick only what you can support with your answer or practice. This is a reflection checklist, not an automated assessment.
Questions about this resource
How do I adapt this for my ecommerce agencies business?
Replace the audience, offer and evidence with your actual information. Begin with a recent buyer conversation about why customers hesitate at product selection or checkout, then check which assumptions match your business.
Is the filled example ready to publish?
No. It is a working example. Verify claims, permissions, prices, current capabilities and any customer information before using it externally. A heuristic review does not prove a conversion uplift.
What should I do after completing the worksheet?
Use it to make one decision or have one focused conversation. The intended output is a testable positioning statement and a list of evidence needed to support it. Set a review date and update it when the evidence changes.
Illustrative business worksheet. No customer results, market rates, traffic volumes or performance benchmarks are implied. About these resources.