When you begin a new online business, there are so many things to do that it is easy to overlook or postpone addressing some of the most important aspects of marketing. One of the decisions that you should not omit from your early planning is the positioning of your business.

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

-Customer Service – Nearly any business you can think of boasts that they have good service. However, think how many you’ve patronized 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. However, you still must make clear to the customer what makes your service special. Perhaps you have 24/7 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.

-Extraordinary Features and Appealing Benefits – Positioning is not just about what makes you different, it’s also about what you emphasize. Folgers announces to the world that it’s “mountain grown coffee” ( a feature). Guess what? Any brand of coffee is mountain grown. Folgers just claimed this feature before anyone else thought to mention it. What is there that none of your competitors are talking about?

-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 – People probably find some things at your competitors annoying. Maybe they feel that they have to wait too long to get an answer to their questions. If that’s a good angle for you, try not phrasing it as a special positive feature, but frame it as a negative that they don’t have to worry about with your business. For example, you might say, “You’ll never have to wait for an answer to your questions with us.”

-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.

-Etc. – Literally anything that differentiates you from your competitors can be part of your positioning strategy – your clever URL, your hours of live help, the way your site looks. Small business owners need to think creatively here.

Proper and effective positioning is important from the first day that you open your website for business. Traffic to your website is a precious resource. You need to be sure that your unique position is visible and clear as soon as that first potential customer shows up. After all, you need that person to return time after time. You’ll have time later to worry about other aspects of your continuing online business development, but the time is now for clear positioning.

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