STANDING OUT FROM THE CROWD
by David Bell
How is the casual web surfer going to perceive your website as distinct from a thousand others in the same business? Developing a clear Unique Selling Proposition (USP) has a lot to do with differentiating your website (and company!) from all the others. What is unique about your business? Why do customers come to you for their business, rather than your competition? What do you do better (or different) from all the rest? Finding your USP is one of the first steps toward a truly successful marketing plan, especially online. Distinctive Packaging Many small business people cut corners on website design costs. The result is a same-old, look-alike website that you couldn't remember an hour after you visited it. Like book covers that compete for consumers' attention, websites need strong visual images. A quality logo is essential. A small businessperson can get a logo designed for $200 to $500, though many companies spend several thousand dollars on the process, since it is so vital to the identity of their company and their products. Most graphic design companies offer this service. Competitive Analysis Just as important as a logo is a distinctive design for the website. The site ought to leave you with an attractive visual memory. Look at your competitors' websites. What do you like about them? What would you change? If you like a certain style or "look", chances are your customers will too. Does your site's style reflect your unique business, or does it simply list the bare facts about you with a big yawn? A Distinct Voice Another way to differentiate your website is with a distinctive "voice." The Internet can be a very flat, cold world. So make sure the style of writing adds personality and individuality to the website text. In a corporate culture this can be darn near impossible. We've all seen the webpage with the DRY message from the CEO. Companies that are smart find spokespersons who put personality into the website text, i.e. a distinctive "voice." A Clear Focus Part of making your business or product distinctive is narrowing. Many online businesses try to be everything to everybody and fail because they are seen as just being part of the crowd. Smaller companies have an easier job of differentiating themselves. Often the Unique Selling Proposition can be a geographic focus combined with a specialty. For example, a dry cleaner in Portland, Maine, that specializes in cleaning suede better than anyone else in the city. Or a recording company that markets New Orleans jazz. Find your company's Unique Selling Proposition, and incorporate that into your website to make it stand out from the crowd. I hope this helps in your future marketing decisions.
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