Writing Your "Why Us" Section So It Doesn't Read Like Everyone Else's Three Bullet Points
Here's the test we run on every "why us" section before we touch it: copy the text, paste it into a blank document, and ask whether it would still make sense on a competitor's website. If the answer is yes, it's not really saying anything 💖. "We're experienced, affordable and reliable" is true of basically every business that's ever written a website, which means it's not actually telling anyone why they should pick you over the business in the next tab.
What most businesses get wrong
The problem usually isn't laziness — it's that "why us" sections get written last, in a rush, after the homepage and services pages have already eaten all the good ideas. So the business owner (or whoever's filling in the template) reaches for the words everyone reaches for: experienced, quality, affordable, friendly, trusted. These words feel safe because they're true. The trouble is they're true of almost everyone, and a claim that's true of everyone persuades no one. A visitor reading generic bullets doesn't think "great, I trust this business more now" — they just skim past to find a phone number or a price.
The other common mistake is writing the section from the inside out — what you want people to think of you — instead of the outside in, which is what a visitor actually needs to decide between you and the next tab they've got open.
For every bullet in your current "why us" section, run it through these three questions:
- Could a competitor write this exact sentence? If yes, it needs a rewrite.
- What's the specific, provable version of this claim? A number, a name, a timeframe, a process, a policy — something you could point to if someone asked "prove it."
- Would a customer actually say this about you? If it's not language your own customers use to describe you, it's probably marketing-speak, not a real differentiator.
Before: "We're experienced." → After: "We've been fixing hot water systems in the same five Gold Coast suburbs since 2014 — we know which brands fail first in salt air."
Before: "We're affordable." → After: "Every quote is fixed-price before we start, and we text you a photo of the part before we order it — no surprise call-outs."
Before: "We're reliable." → After: "We've never missed a booked appointment window in three years — if we're running late, you get a text, not a no-show."
How to actually find the specific version
If the specific detail isn't coming to you while staring at a blank page, it's because you're trying to invent it rather than remember it. Instead, interview yourself (or get your partner, a staff member, or even a happy client to interview you) with these questions: What do customers say when they leave a review that isn't just "great service"? What's a complaint you've heard about a competitor that you'd never get, and why? What's a policy, guarantee or process you have that most people in your industry don't bother with? What number can you honestly point to — years, jobs completed, repeat clients, response time? The answers to those questions are your "why us" section. You're not inventing claims, you're excavating ones that already exist in how you operate.
Once you've got three to five specific claims, order them by what actually matters most to your customer's decision — not what you're proudest of. A customer choosing a tradesperson usually cares more about reliability and price certainty than about the brand of tools you use, even if you love your tools.
Mistakes to avoid
- Stacking five or six bullets when three sharp, specific ones beat a wall of adjectives.
- Using numbers you can't actually back up if someone asked — specificity only works if it's true.
- Writing the section once and never updating it as your business changes (a five-year-old "why us" section often describes a business that no longer exists).
- Making every claim about you rather than about the outcome for the customer — "we use premium materials" matters less than "your deck won't need resealing for eight years."
Frequently asked questions
How many bullet points should a "why us" section actually have?
Three is usually the sweet spot. It's enough to build a case without turning into a wall of text nobody reads. If you've genuinely got five strong, specific, competitor-proof points, that's fine too — just make sure none of them are filler added to hit a round number.
What if my business genuinely doesn't have anything that unique?
Honestly — most businesses feel this way, and most of them are wrong about it. The differentiators are usually in how you operate (communication, guarantees, turnaround, who actually shows up) rather than some flashy unique feature. If you truly can't find anything after the interview exercise above, that's worth treating as a bigger business question, not just a copywriting one.
Should the "why us" section go on the homepage or its own page?
Both, ideally, but in different forms. A condensed, three-point version works well on the homepage where attention is short. A longer "About" or "Why Us" page can go deeper into the story and proof behind each point for the visitors who want more before they commit.
Does this need to sound formal and polished, or can it sound like how I actually talk?
The second one, almost always. Specific detail delivered in your own voice reads as more credible than the same detail dressed up in corporate language — people trust a sentence that sounds like a person said it.
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