By Brian McKay
When it comes to running a business online, there are many factors you have to take into account. For example, if you are running a service that many other companies provide, can you compete with them? If you are running a business that caters to a niche market, a world of possibilities can be opened up for you when it comes to selling products online. Here are some pointers for turning that specialist market into a special market for you.
Make The Service Simple
You are focusing on a very narrow customer base. So make your service simple and to the point. You need to ask yourself questions like, who needs this service? What is so unique about this service? How does this service separate me from the competition?
By answering these questions, it can then help you tailor make your services to your customer. From there, making fine tunings to things like your website, your social media output and marketing plans will set you apart from the other businesses.
Become The Expert In Your Field
By developing a business that is not the “norm”, you can automatically become the authority on the subject. Being an influencer in a specific field will get you attention from further away than you thought. You can communicate your setup and success of the business through blogs and online video diaries. If there are people wanting to follow in your footsteps, don’t keep the information to yourself. You can advise them about the difficulties you faced and even listen to their business plan. You could even be speaking to a future business partner.
Find Your Target Customer
Doing research into your market will help you determine the ideal client. As a niche market is a market that sits on the threshold of another, larger market, you need to address where you are inside it. Ask yourself questions like, who lives in your marketplace? Why have they been underserved? How can you better serve them? How can you unite them? Basically, why is your simple service the solution to their problem? When you answer the questions, you can then find your target customer and acquire their custom. When you locate your customer’s preferences, you can then start to expand your horizons to meet their needs. Creating items tailored for them, no matter how particular they may be. From there you can start to work with other companies to further expand your brand identity, like dynamicgift.ca/custom-printed-table-cloths for example, if you were into making items for furniture.
Also, utilizing the lessons learned from people that have been there before you will help you prepare better. Aligning yourself with key influencers has never been easier with social media and networking sites.
Make Your Service Relevant
Take your opportunities to show people why your business is superior from the next brand. Why do you stand out? What can you offer your customers that other, big name brands, cannot? Your competitor may be a low-cost leader, but your customer base appreciates high-quality craftsmanship. So give them that more personal approach and it will keep them coming back. Rewarding their loyalty will keep them aligned to your brand.
Brian McKay is a co-founder of zenruption. He has a B.A. in Political Science from Gonzaga University and an M.B.A. from Boise State University (yes that blue field). His goal in life is to look out for the regular guy and bring as much knowledge and change to this world as he can. His purpose in founding Zenruption was to do just that and help craft the world he wants his daughter to inherit. Please feel free to email him any feedback or article ideas at [email protected]. On twitter: @brianmckay71
On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/briguy71
