3 lessons in converting cold audiences from the world's largest D2C sleep brands

Hi there 👋,

Five years ago, a mattress company wouldn’t have topped my list for a stellar D2C brand case study. Fast forward to 2023, and I need a new mattress. And I’m ready to embrace the growth hype.

I’d heard rumours of Emma and Simba’s massive growth, and as a firm believer that Product-Market Fit must fuel such growth, I decided to do my research and ensure that I get a good night of sleep in my new house.

Here are three takeaways from what they do well and don’t do well, to help you sleep better at night (as a mattress customer and as a growth person).

Prioritise your ‘why us?’

A crucial lesson surfaced as I delved into the websites of both Simba and Emma: the significance of a compelling value proposition.

This was Simba’s proposition:

They lost me with all that technical jargon. Had this addressed the actual Jobs to Be Done that a customer like myself might have (like crippling back pain of sleeping on either a rock-hard bed or a springy nightmare), then I might have been more drawn in.

Emma’s proposition was sadly, another word vomit of buzzwords…

…also not solving my paint points. Unimpressed by both.

What’s the lesson here? Prioritize a clear and relatable 'Why Us?' that speaks directly to potential customers, avoiding alienating jargon and instead opting for human language.

Put social proof first

As someone who’s skeptical of third-party reviews, the next place I turned to was online reviews. If you work for a DTC brand, I recommend mimicking customer behaviour to see what pops up for you, and how easy it is to access.

For Simba, I easily found an array of social proof on different sites, and was particularly impressed by…

45,942 reviews and still a 4.5 Trustpilot rating? That is some SERIOUS social proof.

Emma’s reviews were harder to find, and I was less impressed with what I found:

3.4.5.0 on Trustpilot? No thanks.

The takeaway? Strong social proof is what will convince your customers. Make sure you have a dedicated reviews page to install confidence in potential customers but also so you can control the flow of information, ensuring key details are easily accessible. If you’re struggling with this, try out a url.com/reviews page.

Shipping matters

I think we can all be a bit impatient when we’re waiting for our online shopping to arrive.

As a brand, clarity on your shipping policy can ease your customers anxieties.

In this case, Simba’s clear shipping policy won me over with a concise and attractive offer (time, 200-night trial, 10 year guarantee etc) whereas Emma’s vague and rather lazy 2-4 week estimate left me unimpressed.

Lesson: Precise shipping details can make or break a customer's decision.

Learn more about Emma vs Simba, and 2 more key takeaways to maximise your online shopping experience below.

Recommendation

In every edition of Growth Waves, I also share a related book, individual or newsletter to check out related to the week's topic.

This week, I want to recommend an episode of one of my favourite growth podcasts, In Growth We Trust, hosted by Yoanin Oavy and Jake Mayell.

They hold weekly guest interviews, with additional shorter deep-dive episodes about online distribution, viral loops, network effects, content and startup growth.

Earlier this year, Yoanin and Jake chatted with Rob Domarkas, ex-Head of International Growth at Simba, about funnel optimisation for small businesses, how to build your value proposition based on your customers, and Simba’s culture and success in the DTC space. Check it out below!

I need your help.

I am collaborating with DTC Live on an online course targeted at early stage startups, particularly (but not exclusively) female-led startups.

It would be fantastic to hear from you in our survey, where we are trying to learn more about potential interest for online courses focused on coaching on brand building, marketing basics and market fit for startups and entrepreneurship.

Thank you so much for your feedback!

So, for the moment you’ve all been waiting for.

I chose…

🎊Simba!🎊

I was swayed by the strong social proof and shipping (and a couple of other reasons… read here). But it was definitely a close call.

These major mattress companies still have a wealth of opportunities to improve their websites, but hey, I bought into the hype; so many elements are working. I now dream away on my comfy Simba Hybrid mattress - perhaps too much even! 

Sweet dreams,

Daphne