But getting more traffic to the business doesn’t address the one of the most important questions that every business owner or manager must answer. That question is this: what makes that business worth going to, instead of all of the other businesses like it? To put it in the language of a potential customer, “why should I come to your location or store and buy from you?”
This concept of knowing why somebody shops at your business, when they could shop somewhere else is called the unique selling proposition or “USP”. It communicates to your prospects and customers the factors that differentiate you from others in your niche or market. The USP gives people a reason to come to your location.
The reason it is so crucial for a business owner to understand is that it (the USP) is the unique position that a company has in the mind of their potential customer. Whether it is on the website or in your store, the USP is a real reflection of what happens when a customer or prospect arrives.
Often, when the concept of USP is discussed, the conversation turns to “branding”. And even though the concepts are both very important, a USP is something entirely different from the idea of ‘branding’. In the simplest terms, branding is what you would say about your business. It is the image that you want to project to your customers and prospects.
The USP, on the other hand, has nothing to do with your image; it is a statement in words about what really matters to your prospects and customers. For instance, the retail giant Wal-Mart’s USP is, “low prices every day.” And that USP is evident in everything that the company does in its advertising and promotion.
Just as companies like Wal-Mart do, owners and managers of Small businesses need to communicate the USP in every place they have interaction with customers and prospects; online, offline, inside and outside of the store. It will be instructive for you to take note of the ways that Wal-Mart communicates this principle. Close observation will make clear five elements of an effective USP:
- The USP Is concise and answers the question of why someone should do business with them and not their competition
- The benefit is quantified. You can get low prices every day, according to Wal-Mart.
- A good USP is specific in what kinds of quality, service or selection you will get.
- The USP states openly what void in the marketplace the company is filling.
- The USP matters most to a company’s prospects and customers
Making sure that you are getting good traffic to your business is a good thing. However, what you say to customers when they come is equally as important. One of the things that we do best is to make sure that your message is effectively communicated throughout your website and in all of your online communications. Call us today so that we can begin combining this powerful USP concept with our knowledge and skill in bringing you traffic.