Your New Web Based Business: Positioning

If you are in the middle of starting an Internet business, the last thing that you want is to add to your “to do” list. However there is a topic that needs your attention during these early stages of business planning.

Basically a marketing position describes your unique place in the market. The key word here is unique. What makes your enterprise different from your competitors? What benefits do you offer your target market that the other players don’t?

-Client Service – Nearly any business you can think of boasts that they have good service. However, consider how many you’ve encountered who don’t live up to their promises. The first step in making quality service a part of your unique position is to fulfill everything you promise (and more). However, you still must identify for the customer what makes your serviceoffer special. Perhaps you have 24 hour live help available; perhaps you have next day shipment or they receive their shipping without charge. Find something that makes your business stand out in this way.

-Features and Appealing Benefits – Identify what it is that you stress in your business operations or with your products or services. Maybe you are a “full service” dry cleaners or you specialize in cases just like theirs. Possibly you offer more size options of your apparel than any other online store.

-Price Point – This doesn’t necessarily mean you have the lowest price. You may be the most expensive in town, and that’s OK if you convince your customers you’re worth it.

-Negative Features – Is there something you don’t have that annoys customers of your competitors? I’m not saying use negative advertising, but just mention the feature and tie it to a benefit. I’m annoyed when I have to pay for parking to go shopping at Mall. Instead of touting free parking, a mall that wants to speak to me might declare, “you’ll never have to pay for parking”. This drives home the pain of shopping with a competitor without going negative. Of course any totally online business can make this claim.

-Credibility – Some businesses like to brag about their long history. If your business is new, you need to find a different way to establish your credentials. Perhaps you might say that you bring fresh ideas to your industry or niche. Adding logos from recognizable, trusted sources helps as well. Join the Chamber of Commerce or Better Business Bureau. Work to obtain the endorsement of a magazine or a professional organization. Display those endorsements prominently. Plan for the future by soliciting testimonials.

-Others – Whatever you can think of that allows you to demonstrate that you are different from your competitors (in a good way, of course) is useful. That’s really all positioning is. Spend some time thinking through each phase of your business to see what you can point to in order to stand apart.

You will spend a great deal of time later developing your online business. You may even make subtle modifications to your positioning as you experiment and discover what is working for you and what isn’t. Immediately, though, you must start working on your positioning statements. They are too important to postpone.