How To Beat Small Business Competition
When talking about competition, many business owners think about large, national companies. However, when it comes to customers and revenue, your local area usually provides the largest incentives. Even small businesses may face significant competition for local customers. How can you triumph over your business competition?
Create a Unique Brand
The first step is to create a unique brand identity. People can’t prefer you over the competition if they don’t really know who you are or what your company stands for. By establishing a strong identity, your company name stands for something. People automatically identify it with certain qualities, such as humor, passion, kindness, professionalism or outside-of-the-box thinking. Here are a few goals you can set to make your company more unique and popular.
Change the (Business) World
If you have many business competitors who do things the same traditional way, set a goal of breaking the mold. For example, if they only sell products in a store, go online. Make your site mobile-friendly and emphasize your online ordering services everywhere. You can even create your own app to let people communicate with you or schedule appointments more quickly.
Pay Attention to Social Media and Blogs
Customers remember businesses that interact with them. Social media and company blogs provide an amazing opportunity to build a relationship with your clients on a deeper level. Let them see you as a caring, humorous and fun human being, not just an entrepreneur. For example, you can write blog posts with helpful tips that show how to use your products. Some home improvement stores create awesome how-to videos that show DIY ways to install the products the customer wants to purchase. This type of content is memorable, especially since people can see you and your employees in action.
Emphasize Your Honesty and Quality
Many business owners oversell and over-promise. The thing is … today’s consumers don’t like it. They can tell when someone is being honest. When you speak in honest terms, it gives you a position of authority and respect. People are more likely to turn to you in search of assistance and they trust your recommendations. Avoid saying things like “this product is 100% effective in all situations!” and instead mention product benefits. You can talk about great benefits and still acknowledge that certain situations call for a different option.
Focus on Your Customers
Incredible customer service should be your top priority. When people have an amazing experience shopping at your business, they enjoy it and remember it. This can include details as small as reducing waiting lines by including online appointments or having a few treats on hand for every client. Also, friendly customer service representatives have a huge impact.
