Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

There are many, many businesses in the world, and most of them offer something similar to what their competitors do. I mean, how many copywriters does it take to change a lightbulb? Joke, right, but honestly, it can be damn hard to differentiate your product or service from others in your industry. So, what can you legitimately compete on and do a little differently to give your business the edge?

For the ‘look at me, look at me’ factor that you need to be seen above the others, here are the 5 elements you can work with to wriggle some points of difference.

1. Price

2. Quality

3. Features

4. Customer Service

5. Marketing and Advertising

Differentiate ON Price

When it comes to price, you can either choose to undercut your competitors or price high and go for gold. It depends on what you’re selling and who your target market is as to what clients will be prepared to pay, but the race to the bottom to be the cheapest of cheapest is rarely profitable.

If you’re targeting cost-sensitive customers, then educating them on the great benefits of your product and service is one way to encourage them to think in terms of ‘value’ rather than price. But if you’re dealing in an everyday type of commodity where customers are always looking for the best deal, price matching is fair; then look to add extra value elsewhere (customer service etc). Undercutting your competitors can get people in the door, but try to upsell (would you like fries with that?) and ensure your margins aren’t too slim.

Obviously, when you’re targeting more affluent customers, you can probably set a higher price point and still be competitive because the higher end of the market values the concept of quality and don’t shop on price tag alone.

Differentiate ON Quality

Quality is another key way you can stand out from competitors. There are a ton of options out there, and customers can have their pick, but quality is something that separates the cream from the crop. Provide a top-notch product or service and people will choose you over some second-rate competitor every single time, No questions asked.

Maintaining excellence day in and day out is seriously tough, but it’s 100% worth it when you see customers return time and again because of the value and quality you deliver.

So, how do you show potential clients that you’re the real deal? You can start by letting your existing happy customers do the talking for you. Plaster glowing reviews and testimonials all over the place and walk your talk by backing it up with rock-solid guarantees that put their minds at ease. At the end of the day, customers crave quality above all else and if you can consistently deliver that, buyers will see the difference.

Showcase Unique Features and Benefits

Features are where you can seriously flex and show off what makes your product or service a total game-changer. If you’re packing capabilities that your competitors can’t even dream of, you’ve got an instant edge that’ll have customers take notice.

But here’s the real kicker – it’s never just about rattling off some dry list of features. They can read that on the back of the packet. You need to spell out the juicy benefits those features deliver. Because at the end of the day, customers want to know how their experience is going to be smoother, faster, more enjoyable…you get the idea. The magic happens when the features and benefits of your offer easily outshine your competitors.

Outshine with Customer Service

Great customer service is where it’s at and this is something you’ve got 100% control over. You can have the fanciest product in the world, but if your support game is weak, it’ll be a hard pass from buyers.

But when you bring A-plus customer service and focus on totally out-caring the competition, you’ll be noticed. It can be as simple as a smile and a “no problem!” attitude when others are dropping the ball, and your reward will be rave reviews and glowing testimonials left all over the place for your business.

At the end of the day, tremendous customer service is what separates the good businesses from the posers. So, consistently treating people beyond their expectations will bring you customers for life.

Unique marketing and advertising

Having a killer product or service is most of the battle won, no doubt about it. But you know what’ll really separate you from the pack? A marketing strategy that absolutely slays.

Your competitors are probably stuck riding the same old marketing ferris wheel – bland tactics, tired approaches, nothing that’ll truly turn heads. But not you. This is your chance to flex your creative muscles and dream up innovative ways to promote your business that are so fresh, and so memorable, they simply can’t be ignored.

Maybe you target a completely different market your rivals overlooked. Or perhaps you go big and bold with wildly original promos that are just too cool not to notice. The key is finding a way to get eyeballs locked on your business.

Your marketing can’t be just a whisper – it should be a megaphone shout-out that commands attention, drawing in the crowd. And when you nail it, they’ll come pounding at the door. You need to be an unstoppable marketing machine that blows your competition out of the water, and yes it can be done on a budget with ideas that disrupt the norm and out-clever others.

Want a hand to differentiate and stand out?

Need a sounding board to brainstorm some killer marketing ideas? I’m all ears, ready to help you kick off some buzz that’ll have your ideal customers watching (and then heading straight to your checkout!). Just say the word, and let’s get you standing out in a major way.