image via Winextra.com

This is Part 1 in this a series by this month’s Special Guest Blogger – Meagan Visser.

If you’re a creative business owner then you’ve probably heard the terms “standing out in the crowd”, “point of difference” or “unique selling proposition” as it relates to your business.

It’s one thing to know that you need to be different from other businesses similar to yours, but doing it is something else.

It’s not even so much the act of being different that is difficult. It’s the process… the figuring it all out part, that’s the most challenging.

A lot of creative business owners ignore this & put it off, not thinking it’s very important, but today I’m gonna tell you why you shouldn’t ignore this step to business success any longer.

It Comes Down To Price Every Time

If you sell red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting & one of your competitors sells the same thing, how do you think a potential customer is going to decide which cupcake to buy?

PRICE

If there’s nothing that stands out between the two cupcakes, the decision to buy will come down to price every time.

Customers Need A Reason To Choose You

• What makes you special?
• What makes your products worth buying?
• What benefits will your customer get from choosing your product over another?
• What problem are you solving for your customer?
• What is your value point?

These are all questions you need to ask yourself about each of the products you sell. Your customer needs a reason to choose you. If you don’t give them one, they’re going to default back to choosing based on the price of the product & you don’t want to be caught up in that sort of game.

When you’re in the position to compete with other businesses based on price, you’ll lose every time. There’s always someone out there who’s willing to make what you do & charge less for it.

You can differentiate yourself in many ways. Price is one way, but it doesn’t always have to be a cheaper price.

Value is another way to set your products apart from your competition.

Be More Valuable

Your ideal customer wants or needs something & they’re looking to fill it. Is your product the answer to their problem?

Let’s assume your product is exactly what they need. How will they know? How will you express it’s value to them so they see it’s just what they’re looking for?

If you’ve got an online business, you’ve got a few ways you can do this.

1. Photos – make sure you photos are high-quality & show your customer why they should purchase your product. You can show your product being used, the features of the product, the craftsmanship, or the product’s details.
2. Product Descriptions – this is where you get to sell your product to your customer. Tell them about the product. Draw them in with a story about it. Tell them about the features & be sure to include how it will benefit them & solve their problem. Be sure to think about what questions your customer may have about your product & answer them so your customer doesn’t have to ask.
3. Social proof – customer testimonials & feedback are one of the best ways to show a products value. By including testimonials here & there in your descriptions, you’re showing your customer that others have gone before them, were very pleased with your products & that there’s a chance they’ll be pleased too!

So remember, don’t compete with other businesses based on price. Know your products value, know how it can meet the needs of your customer, & be sure to tell them about it.

Keep an eye out for the next post in this series. I’ll be talking about how you can identify your competition & how you can learn from them!

How are you struggling to stand out from your competition? Share your stories with me in the comments below!

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