When you are running a small business you will face many challenges. From juggling the day-to-day running to arranging new product launches you certainly don’t have an easy job. But at least no day is the same and you have your own business! One of the biggest challenges you will face as a business owner is getting your business to stand out from the crowd.
It can be difficult to find ways to stand out from the crowd as a business but it’s something you ideally need to have a successful future. If you want to grow your share of the market and become a brand that people recognise then you need to find ways to stand out.
Let’s have a look at some of the ways you can do this below:
Find Your Unique Selling Point
Every business should have a USP if you don’t have yours then you need to spend some time building it. If you want to stand out from the competition then you need to advertise your USP. When you have a USP that is strong and different from your competitors then you are well on your way to being recognizable and known for your brand. You need to think about your USP carefully as it will become the main message when you are marketing your business.
Before you settle on your unique selling point it is best to do some research. One of the first things to look at is your competitors and what their USP is. You ideally want to have a USP that is different from your competitors.
Have A Recognizable Branding Plan
If you want to stand out from the crowds then you need to make sure your brand is recognizable. This is more than designing your logo, however, it does help you to have a decent logo to use. Your brand needs to hold every aspect of your services and products. Even Promotional items that you use can have your brand imagery on them. Anywhere you can use your logo or brand images is good. T-shirts, mugs, notebooks, pens, your website, your social media accounts, letters you send, and more. If you are struggling to keep costs down you may want to think about using custom stickers to start with. They cost next to nothing and you can stick them anywhere. Once you have established your brand you can then invest in more branded items.
Build A Strong Online Presence
It is an absolute necessity for you to grow a strong online presence. It’s not something that you can afford to let slip. Especially if you want to stand out. Most businesses are now online and you can guarantee that your competition is already doing it. It is more than just having a website. It’s also about being available on social media platforms.
When people are searching for businesses nowadays they they expect to be able to find them in many locations. If they can’t then they probably won’t shop with them or use their services. They want to be able to see that you are a business that is out there and that you engage with your customers. You can do this by working on several elements that help to grow your online profile:
- Have a website that is SEO optimized and has all your business information including an about us page, service page, and contact information.
- Have a blog that posts relevant information related to your business.
- Have social media profiles that post regularly and engage with customers.
- Appear in Google search results.
Make Sure You Understand Your Customer
If you get to know your customer, who they are, and what they want then you are more likely to stand out from the crowd. If you can show your customers that you know them and can give them what they need then they will trust you and use your business again and again. But how do you know who your customer is and what they want? That would be market research. Get to know your customer and their needs and find the right solution for them. If you want to make sure you are always on top of this you need to relook at market research at least once a year. If you are launching a new product then you need to do more often.
Keep Up To Date With Trends
If there is anything that businesses should follow, it’s trends. You may not like all the trends personally but if they are working for your competition and your customers are following them you should too. It’s a really easy way to make sure you are being noticed and standing out. Make sure you keep on top of what is popular in your industry and see how you can include them in your business. You will likely stay popular and attract new customers.
Have Competitive Prices
A really simple way to stand out from the crowd it makes your prices extremely competitive. When people find a great deal they are much more likely to choose you, especially if you are offering quality too. The only thing you need to make sure you are careful of is taking it too far. Some customers may be put off and think that something is a miss because your prices seem to be low. They may presume that your quality isn’t up to scratch and avoid you. Make sure you do some research to find out what the average prices are in your industry and when you first start stay at the bottom end. You can always bring your process up once you have built your reputation and your customers know what they are paying for.
As you can see there are many ways you can help your business stand out from the crowd. Are you going to try any of these? Please let us know how they helped in the comments below.
