Creating Your Unique Selling Proposition

A Unique Selling Proposition (USP) is the thing that sets your business apart from the competition. Let’s face it, when it comes to the amount of vendors offering any number of products or services online, there are thousands, if not millions, of choices available to the consumer.

So how do you get someone to choose your site or over another? That is where the USP comes into play.

What Is a USP?

Your company’s USP is what differentiates it from competitors. What can you offer a customer that no one else can?

How To Create A Unique Selling Proposition

A good USP fills a void in the marketplace regarding a specific benefit, value, or service to the consumer. Just like the value proposition of a particular product clearly states how it will positively affect someone’s life, the unique selling proposition tells a potential client how your company can provide an overall benefit.

You need to define your niche in the market. This may or may not combine several different gaps, such as service in addition to quality, or experience with wide selection. What is it you do best? Whether it is providing exceptional customer service, a no-questions-asked return policy, hard-to-find products, or the benefit from years of experience in a certain industry, define it and capitalise on it.

Take a look at what your competitors’ USP is. Try to find something that no one else is currently offering or another way to stand apart in the crowd.

One thing to keep in mind is that you do not want to create a Unique Selling Proposition which you cannot stand behind. If you advertise that your company offers the largest selection of widgets, then you’d better be sure you keep a large inventory of all sorts of widgets in your virtual warehouse. If you can’t fulfil a promise, don’t make it as this will cause more harm than good in terms of customer relations.

It may be helpful to sit down with a pen and paper and start brainstorming. Write down everything that comes to mind about your business. Take a look at your list and think like a consumer – which concepts are most valuable? What terms would most encourage you to buy something from your company?

Next, narrow it down to one or two key concepts. If you’ve decided that your customer service is exceptional and your return policy is one of a kind, then incorporate it into your brand.

Include a simple tag line like “Rated number one in customer satisfaction with a return policy that simply states the customer is always right” on your website, your online advertising, your business cards, your product pages, your Email signature, your sales letters, and anywhere else you can imagine.

A good Unique Selling Proposition is useless unless you advertise it but a good USP can be a powerful marketing tool that takes your company from the bottom of search engine rankings to the top and the best in class in the eyes of your customers.