Fighting for attention and mindshare in a crowded market? It can sometimes feel impossible, right? You’ve been fighting against your local competitors for years, trying to convince customers that your business can meet their needs better than that other guy. With the Web and social media, it feels harder than ever to be more competitive.
Applying state-of-the-art tools and processes is widely seen as a mark of excellence. So, perhaps not surprisingly, “best practice” is one of those terms that you constantly hear in corporate circles. Managers often see implementing them as key to their performance.
Yet many experts point out that adopting so-called best practices can stifle your ability to innovate. After all, once you designate a particular way of doing things as “best,” who is going to question it? And if nobody questions it, it won’t be improved.
Still, even keeping those objections in mind, best practices can be immensely valuable, if approached with open eyes and good sense. The truth is that much like any business process, they’re only as good as the managers who implement them. While many do use best practices as a crutch, they can also be used as a platform from which to innovate.
Even if you’re not competing on product, you’re competing on attention. To stand out, you need to be more present than all the like competitors out there.
And it can be done, believe me.
Whether you’re just starting out or you’d like to increase your presence in your market, below are tips to help your small business stand out on the Web.
Be Specific About Who You Are
Standing out in a sea of competition means giving people something to remember. To do that, be specific about who you are.
- Maybe you’re a local print shop that only uses recycled inks or papers. Or you use a process that others don’t.
- You’re a caterer who only uses locally-grown meat and vegetables. Or you’re the most expensive guy in town because of how elaborate your events are.