This Twitter themed T-shirt is being sold by Bouhammer.com in conjunction with KissMyGumbo.com and Vision Strike Wear, in honor of #MilitaryMon. All procedes from this shirt benefit Project Valour-IT, which ”helps provide voice-controlled / adaptive laptop computers and other technology to support Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines recovering from hand wounds and other severe injuries.”
Purchase yours today and support our soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines.
Step 3 in atracting all the clients you want is…Understaing What Makes Your Company Unique. (Click here to read step 1 and step 2)
With so many companies offering similar services or products as you do, how do you stand out from the crowd? Once you identify your target market and know the benefit your company brings to them, then you need to show why potential clients should buy from you.
In order to do this, you need a Unique Selling Proposition (USP), a short statement explaining how your company or product differs from those of your competitors. Your USP informs prospective and current clients why your product or service is the best option.
Many businesses fail to establish a USP, just as they fail to pinpoint their target market. You must communicate a specific, compelling reason for customers to buy from you. Show them ways your company is different. Do you do something that goes over and beyond what your competitors do? Do you do things differently? Now, sit down and make a list of what makes your company unique.
While you’re making your list, brainstorm ways you can add more value to the product or service. For example, if you are a web designer, perhaps you could offer a free, 30-minute follow-up call to answer any questions customers have or to help brainstorm ways they can draw more site traffic. Offer this a month after the completion of the project. If you own a real estate firm, perhaps you could drive your clients around in a comfortable vehicle and offer snacks and drinks along the way.
Don’t forget to research the competition. Unless you know what else is out there, you cannot properly evaluate or showcase a USP.
Study the competition’s website and marketing materials, noting each company’s history and mission, product features and benefits, and target market. Why do customers buy from them and what does the market want that they do not or cannot provide? Note gaps in their product or service offerings. If you have difficulty clarifying benefits, list the features and why a prospect requires or desires them. Those reasons are benefits.
When the economy is in crisis, it’s not the time for you to sit back and coddle your money to the point of suffocation. It’s the time to invest in your business and stand out above the competition.
While competitors cut back spending, you have a great opportunity to rise above them. The economy will eventually rebound, leaving your business at the top of its game.
It’s important to strategically spend money during this time. This doesn’t necessarily mean you have to spend a ton. Just know what to spend it on.
Focusing on customer behavior will ensure your marketing campaigns are worth the money. These tough times are a great opportunity to come out ahead of competitors by placing your focus on customer behavior. Be careful, but don’t be frugal.
Provide customers with something of value to sell to them. Consumers don’t ever stop buying. They may cut back but never completely stop. They become more choosy than they may have been in a booming economy, which makes focusing on the value of a product in tough times an important aspect of selling your products / services.
Sell benefits to your consumers, not features. The more benefits customers see from your products / services, the more likely they’ll buy from your company as opposed to a competitor who has cut back on his marketing campaign. You’ll stand out to potential clients and bring in competitors’ clients as well.
Investing money into marketing campaigns to rewrite web copy, revamp web design, and rework selling points can take you way beyond your competitors. While they’re cutting advertising expenses, you’re strengthening yours, increasing SEO, staying up-to-date, showing customers you have a fresh outlook.
Focus on customer satisfaction and customer service. Show them you’re there when they need you and you’re worth the money they’re investing into your products / services.
For more helpful tips on marketing in economic crisis and to learn about our many marketing services, visit Michelle Salater Writing and Editorial, LLC.
All businesses strive to obtain brand loyalty and customer trust. Competition is fierce in the business world, and by working to build credibility for your company, more people will buy and stay loyal to your brand.
Websites are an excellent tool to solidify trust between the company and the customer. They’re an excellent commodity to have, even if they don’t provide sales transactions directly. For example, if you own a small shoe boutique and want a website but currently don’t have the manpower to accept online credit card purchases, don’t bale out. Websites can still benefit your company, providing company awareness and loyalty. Your website can entice internet users to come into your store and make the purchase. It’s worth the extra time and effort, even if you can’t receive sales directly from the site.
A word of warning: a website can backfire if used incorrectly. Don’t jump the gun and try to sell, sell, sell. Your goal is to gain the trust of the customers and give them what they want. Show your visitors you care about their needs and want to satisfy them.
Here are a few tips on getting the right message across on your website:
· Provide customers with product / service features that will make the decision to buy a simple, truthful, and fast process.
· Accentuate the benefits of each feature and connect it to their needs.
· Provide contact information that allows the customer to trust you’ll be there when necessary. If customers know you’re there to answer any questions and concerns and provide them with the best customer service possible, they’ll trust your business and continue working with you.
The key is to get inside the customer’s head. What is your target market looking for? What kind of tips and services can you provide for to ease them into purchasing your product / service? Many people compare products and information online to make a better purchasing decision. Don’t lose the customer to the competitor that provides useful tips and information about the product / service. Get on track, and you’ll see sales and brand loyalty increase.
Looking to punch up your web stats? Hire a webcopy writer.
Your website works around the clock to persuade customers to purchase your product without any personal interaction. However, many websites aren’t doing all they can to draw customers in and persuade them to act. This often occurs because companies do not know where their website falls in the sales process.
The sales process of your website is similar to the one you use in store—beginning with identifying the customer and ending with a customer relationship that will bring him or her back in the future.
The online sales process consists of . . .
· Create a stellar first impression: First impressions are everything. Your website has to prove to your target that your products / services will satisfy their needs. The tactics you use on your site through words and design are equivalent to the store-based salesperson approach and must be executed to the highest degree of efficiency.
· Promote features and benefits while answering customer objections: Websites must anticipate what questions a customer may have, and the copy should already have them answered. Once you’ve fully described the various features and benefits of your products / services, answer any customer fears and concerns. This allows the customer to make a better buying decision and recognize your company as thorough and knowledgeable. FAQ’s and customer testimonial pages can be used to get various answers across.
· Close the deal: Make sure navigation to the purchase button is obvious and user-friendly. If you’ve gotten as far as getting them to purchase, it would be a shame to lose them during the actual purchasing process. To account for any skeptical customers, it would be beneficial for your website to recommend different products, utilize promotions, and reinforce benefits of the products / services.
· Keep the relationship alive: It’s extremely important to keep past customers returning to your website / store. Thank you emails, coupons for future purchases, and excellent customer service all aid in maintaining future relations with the customer.
Not sure if your website could use a sales process facelift? Visit Michelle Salater Writing and Editorial, LLC, to learn how we can help you with our writing services.
