MarketingExperiments.com published their findings in regards to differentiating your company from others. They report that most companies - when asked what their most unique aspect was - answered, "Our great customer service."
The bad news is that won't cut it. Why? Because, in most cases, when customers are visiting sites to gather information and make purchasing decisions, they won't come in contact with your customer service department. It would be a nonissue until something went wrong.
Also, since most businesses are claiming excellent customer service, it's an overused promise that has begun to carry less and less weight. You need something solid. You need something that is persuasive.
If I were standing in front of you and told you that I was considering buying my desk from you or from Vendor Z, what would you say to convince me to buy from you? Here are some things to consider when trying to discover ways to differentiate yourself from other businesses.
- Offer free shipping (on all orders or on orders over a certain amount)
- Increase your inventory
- Decrease your inventory and only carry specialty items
- Lower your prices
- Raise your prices (works well for premium goods & services)
- Increase your area of expertise (for service-based businesses)
- Specialize or narrow your niche
- Achieve ratings or rankings from well-known associations or organizations
- Apply for a patent
- Win awards
- Offer a customer loyalty program
Conduct an online survey of your visitors to ask what they want. (SurveyMonkey.com is great for this.) Look back over your complaints and other feedback for ideas about how to set yourself apart.
Email existing customers (if you have their permission to do so) and ask them why they chose you. Whatever you do, don't stay in a position where you are exactly the same as (or highly similar to) your competition. The chances are far too great you'll get lost in the crowd.
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