Lucky for you, the previous tips in this series were pretty concrete – things you could sit down and do, fix and tweak to improve the chances of success for your site. This one gets a little harder because it’s not something you can figure out in a day or a weekend or maybe even a month.
This one is going to cost you some time, but in the end it’ll be worth every second.
Tip #9: Your Website Should Be At Least As Good As Your Competitor’s
Another one for the “seems obvious” category, but pay attention. If you haven’t visited, used and scrutinized your competitors’ sites, then you are missing a huge opportunity.
You should be aware of what other organizations in your industry are doing, what works for them, what doesn’t. This is also a good opportunity to look for “empty spaces” that you can fill with a new idea.
Find out what your competitors are missing, then rescue your customers (and add a few new ones) by offering something that your competitors don’t.
But guess what? The only way to do this right is way at the beginning during the planning phase.
You shouldn’t be designing, building or otherwise marketing your site until you have an arsenal of ideas and information about what’s happening online in general and in your sphere in particular. Dig out your old term paper researching skills and apply them to the real world. Spend some time and really find out what’s out there so you can begin to build a cohesive direction for your site and its goals.
Now for the disclaimer: don’t “follow the leader” when it comes to online marketing or you will look like what you are – one entity in a long line of many of the same. Figure out where your competitors are going and then take one extra step. Just because “everyone’s doing it” doesn’t mean they’re doing it right.
Use your competitors for the really-great-ideas and surpass them in every other way.
What are you doing to differentiate yourself from competitors?
Read More In The “Building A Good Website” Series
- Tip #1: A Website Should Be Informative
- Tip #2: Information Should Be Well Organized And Properly Distributed
- Tip #3: Information Should Be Relevant
- Tip #4: A Website Should Be Easy To Use And Navigate
- Tip #5: A Good Website Contains A Call To Action
- Tip #6: Forms Should Be Easy To Use And Understand
- Tip #7: News, Blogs And Social Media Should Be Updated Regularly
- Tip #8: A Website Should Be Search Engine Friendly
- Tip #9: Your Website Should Be At Least As Good As Your Competitor’s
- Tip #10: A Website Should Be Part Of The Big Picture
