The online space is crowded and is only getting more cramped as many businesses that weren’t active online, or online at all, moved onto the web as soon as Covid-19 hit and they had to close their brick and mortar stores. This is great news for online businesses since more people than ever are now shopping exclusively online, yet the competition is fiercer than ever as well.
How do you stand out from amongst your competitors online and capture those potential customers?
Find Your USP and Excel at It
First you will need to identify your USP. Your USP is your unique selling point, what exactly makes you stand out and better than your competitors?
You need to sit down and ask yourself, why a customer should shop by you as opposed to your competitor? You need to pinpoint one specific aspect in your business that you are not just good at, but great at.
It can be that you offer the best prices, have the best customer service, or have the biggest selection of products. Do not try to do all of the above, just pick one thing, stick to it, and be the best one out there in that area.
It is impossible to be the best at everything, and if you are trying to do so you will end up not being great at anything since you need to remain focused on just one thing in order to really excel at it.
By focusing your energies on one area to be great at you will gain customers who care about the specific area in which you excel and make your business the store of choice for the products which you offer. You will gain a great reputation for your business through excelling at your USP and gain happy customers.
Take the large online scrub store, Medicalscrubscollection.com as an example; they stand out as offering the best prices for nursing scrubs on the web. They are constantly offering great discounts and have free shipping on all orders over $49. Those looking for a great price on their scrub uniform find their way to Medical Scrubs Collection and are thrilled with their amazing savings. They have thus built their name and reputation as THE place to purchase the cheapest scrub online.
Customer Care
According to Reputation Rhino, taking care of your customers and communicating with them effectively should be a priority for any business that wants to maintain its reputation and retain its customers. Treating your customers properly and providing open communication is of paramount importance for a successful business.
Even if you have the best prices or the most amazing website, if you do not provide proper customer service you will end up losing out in the long run. Sometimes when giving in to your customer it may seem like you are losing out, but by making your customer happy you will not only gain a customer who will likely come shop again but very possibly they will tell others about their great experience and through this you will gain positive exposure, which is one of the best ways of getting more customers.
According to a study, nearly 70% of people who experience excellent customer service will spend more money with that company. That is what a called a real gain! So, make sure to train your customer service team to be extremely courteous and go out of their way to make sure that your customers always walk away from your company as happy customers.
Fill in The Gaps
Take a look at your competitors’ sites and see what they are offering, how they are offering it. See what they are doing right, as well as what they are doing wrong, and how you can do it better.
Try to brainstorm and see what is lacking or what can be improved upon in your industry and take the initiative and start offering it.
Sometimes by going the extra mile or offering that little extra, you will show that you have something that others do not, and that will attract more customers. Get creative and try to think out of the box. Sometimes it is a good idea to ask a trusted friend or consultant to take a look around your site and get an objective view of your website.
Sometimes all you need is a fresh pair of eyes to pick up on something that is wrong, missing, or can be improved upon. Often, we are biased and are so used to our sites that it is hard to even notice what is lacking or can be improved upon.
Be Secure
When shopping online people are required to give over their personal credit card or bank information to an unknown company and understandably can be hesitant to do so. Having a secure check on your website, and letting your customers know that it is secure is very important to create trust with your customer and make them feel comfortable submitting their personal information on your website.
In addition, general web security is very important to keep hackers from accessing private and sensitive information on your website and is especially important if you keep your customer’s credit card information.
In addition, many businesses offer the PayPal payment option since customers are often more comfortable keeping their information private and keeping the checkout process simple and easy.
Most importantly, try to put yourself in your customer’s shoes and think about how you would want to be treated and what you would expect when shopping for your product. By implementing the above tips, you will see that your happy customers will return and may even bring along a friend or two, which will help grow your business and make you stand out online as the best in your industry.
