3 proven ways to make your business stand out among other competitors

Marketing is one of the things that drives small and large businesses forward and makes them more recognizable in the constantly growing crowd of other entrepreneurs trying to thrive in the competitive field of their specialization. However, successful marketing strategies, and therefore, successful businesses are built on the distinctive feature of the company, one simple, but a rather powerful feature that, when used and played around wisely, draws new customers to that particular business/product and makes them choose it over the others. It has to impress the client at a lightning speed and leave a distinctive memory about your business, which will lead the customer to go back even if he decides to explore other options.

But how to develop that unique feature? How to make your business stand out among other competitors pursuing the same goal? Whether you’re a general contractor, a barber or a small coffee shop owner, you may adapt these general tips to your needs and make your business at least a bit more special when compared to others operating within the same industry.

Ways to make your small business stand out

1. Become a micro niche expert

Attempting to cover as wide of an audience as possible is one of the most common mistakes small business owners make. The effect of this strategy is completely opposite to what they expect: instead of covering a large target audience and attracting more customers, they experience substantial difficulties in acquiring even the minimal number of clients that will allow their businesses to survive. In other words, if you try to satisfy everybody, you end up satisfying no one.

As business marketing experts rightfully claim and successful entrepreneurs prove, the demand is higher for ultra-special, laser targeted products and services that manage to solve a specific problem/fulfill a highly specific need of a fairly particular group of people. If you can examine the local market and find the micro niche that’s not overpopulated by other entrepreneurs, if you come up with a unique concept of a product/service a specific circle of customers lacks in their daily life, you will be able to:

• acquire the clients easier, as they’ve been waiting for the appearance of that certain product/service;
  
• charge more, as your services are so exceptional and specialized;
  
• enjoy the loyalty of those clients and experience the chain effect of customer attraction.
  

For instance, instead of being a family photographer conducting all sorts of photo shoots, concentrate on underwater maternity photography. Instead of being a general landscaper, build your business around creating living garden ponds. Instead of being a regular personal trainer, become an expert in providing fitness assistance to people with special needs.

Becoming an expert at a certain specialty will take time and a lot of learning effort, but you’ll be rewarded with the influx of customers and the boost of revenue.

2. Be on top of the trends.

Follow the general trends, stay on top of the things people are obsessed with to base limited edition products or services around those trends? Remember the trick Starbucks played on us? Everyone loves unicorns and glitter, right? Why don’t we make a Unicorn Frappuccino and say that it will be out only for a few days? And even though the drink wasn’t that great, everyone made a mission to try it out and take an Instagram picture with it. Now, after witnessing the success of that drink, the company is planning to release more funky drinks from time to time.

What I’m trying to say is that as a business owner, you need to be creative and come up with your ‘unicorn frappe’ to make the customers rave about it.

3. Shift your focus from traditional marketing to exceptional customer experience

With the explosion of advertising, which, unfortunately, does nothing better than annoying the customers, modern businesses shift the emphasis from carrying out expensive advertising campaigns to using less costly online means of advertising to catch customer’s attention and make them rave about their services by ensuring exceptional customer experience, unlike their competitors.

Great customer experience should consist of:

• customer-oriented approach when providing services, which means flexibility, post-service support, friendly communication and high quality;
  

• unique habit that leaves your clients surprised and stimulates ‘the word of mouth’ – for instance, the car repair service I use gives details my car  for free every time I take it for a full inspection; it goes without saying that my friends got hooked up as well;

• quick and effective customer response system.

• a strong guarantee other businesses in your industry don’t provide

• solving the client’s problem to the utmost extent and overcoming the problem the industry is known for (for instance, kids fear dentists  - concentrate on making the kids enjoy the experience)

As a summary, aim for being a unique business just as you should aim for being your own person, and strive for human interaction as it gives more momentum than anything.