As your small business grows, so do your competitors. Making your business stand out from the competition is a difficult task but it’s critical for your long-term growth and sustainability.
In this article, we will discuss a few strategies you can implement to stand out in your industry, no matter how fierce the competition is.
Instead of targeting everybody and providing all the services possible, be a master of one.
Many businesses find this advice difficult to follow, but you cannot stand out from the competition if you keep doing the same thing they are doing.
Instead of offering your services to everyone that needs it, choose a more specific set of customers you can offer your services or products.
Say you are a website designer. Instead of positioning your business as a website designer who can do it all and create websites for anybody, you could say you are a real estate website designer.
This way, you would easily position yourself as the option for real estate customers.
And can now stand out from other website designers.
You cannot just be different in a way that does not add value to your customers.
Look for common pain points among your competitors’ customers and what they face in general.
Make sure they don’t experience the same problem when using your product or service by solving the problem. A good problem to solve must be common among your target customers and high on the customer’s priority list.
For instance, if you run a hotel business and many customers complain about the tasteless meals they are served when they use hotels, find a solution to that problem.
And give customers a guarantee that when they choose your hotel, they would get the best food.
Be sure to set a standard in your kitchen to ensure that is true every time too.
Always be on the lookout for new ways your business can bring value to customers.
Many small businesses don’t like to experiment or test new ideas. But to ensure that your business always stands out from your competition, you have to be a few steps ahead to cater to the ever-changing needs of your customers.
All of this can only happen if you are innovative.
Consider your customers’ journey when they interact with your business and make sure your business goes above and beyond for them at all times.
Ensure that your customers’ whole experience from the first time they knock on your doors or send you a direct message on your social media accounts is extraordinary, not just excellent customer service.
Teach your customer-facing employees to be creative enough to find ways outside the rule book that will surprise and delight them.
It sends a message to your customers that you are different from the rest, and you can trust customers to share their experiences with your business with other customers – whether bad or good.
So, make it stellar and save a few bucks on marketing.
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