Positioning Your New Online Business
by admin on Jul.11, 2009, under General
When you start a new online business, there are so many things to do that it is easy to overlook or postpone addressing some of the most important aspects of marketing. One of the decisions that you should not omit from your initial planning is your business’ positioning.
Basically a marketing position describes your unique place in the market. The key word here is unique. What makes you different from your that of your competitors? What features and benefits do you offer your target customers or clients that the other players don’t?
-Service – Almost any business you can think of boasts that they have good service. However, think how many you’ve encountered who don’t live up to those promises. The first step in making quality service a part of your unique position is to fulfill everything you promise. However, you still must identify for the customer what it is that makes your serviceoffer special. Perhaps you have 24 hour live help available; perhaps you have next day shipment or they receive their shipping free. Find something that makes your business stand out in this way.
-Features and Appealing Benefits – Positioning is not just about what makes you different, it’s also about what you emphasize. Folgers announces to the world that it’s “mountain grown coffee” ( a feature). Guess what? Any brand of coffee is mountain grown. Folgers just claimed this feature before anyone else thought to mention it. What’s something that none of your competitors are talking about?
-Price Point – Not everyone can offer the lowest prices and still make a profit. But you must be certain to convince your prospect that your products and services are worth whatever it is that you charge.
-Negative Features – Is there something you don’t have that annoys customers of your competitors? I’m not saying use negative advertising, but just mention the feature and tie it to a benefit. I’m annoyed when I have to pay for parking to go shopping at Mall. Instead of touting free parking, a mall that wants to speak to me might declare, “you’ll never have to pay for parking”. This drives home the pain of shopping with a competitor without going negative.
-Credibility – Some businesses like to brag about their long history. If your business is new, you need to find a different way to establish your credentials. Perhaps you might say that you bring fresh ideas to your industry or niche. Adding logos from recognizable, trusted sources helps as well. Join the Chamber of Commerce or Better Business Bureau. Work to obtain the endorsement of a magazine or a professional organization. Display those endorsements prominently. Plan for the future by soliciting testimonials.
-Etc. – Literally anything that differentiates you from your competitors can be part of your positioning strategy – your clever URL, your hours of live help, the way your site looks. Small business owners need to think creatively here.
Proper positioning is important from the day that you open your site for business. Traffic to your website is a precious resource. You need to be sure that your unique position is visible and clear as soon as that first potential customer arrives. After all, you need that person to return time after time, because returning customers are the best kind to have. You’ll have time later to worry about other types of your continuing online business development, but the time is now for clear positioning.
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