The Service Sprawl Penalty

The more services you list, the less sure a buyer is that you're the right pick for their exact problem.

Chart: The Service Sprawl Penalty. The more services you list, the less sure a buyer is that you're the right pick for their exact problem.
Save this chart Download

The mechanism

The chart plots buyer confidence against the number of services you offer, and the line slides straight down. At three services buyers are about 92 percent sure you can help; by twelve-plus it's down near 8. Notes along the way mark the tipping points - around seven services your homepage starts reading like a menu and people compare you on price, and "full-service" ends up meaning invisible. Offering more makes you harder to choose, not easier.

Part of Positioning. Who you are for and why you are the obvious choice.