If you don't already know what they're known for, check out their website and see if they tout one benefit more than the rest. Or check out online reviews and see what customers praise them for the most.
4. What is the practice in my industry?
Now that you've learned what your main competitors are known for, you can move on to establishing common practices in your industry.
General practices can mean many things: product features, customer service standards, employee skills, etc. We know this is a rather vague definition.
You should simply think about your industry and what you can associate with it. These details should be universally accepted by both the business and the customers . If nothing comes to mind immediately, then you might want to check out some of your competitors' websites and make a list of the features they all mention.
For example, in the software world, it is a common requirement that web applications be scalable and based on the latest coding standards. Everyone knows this. Most web development companies take these requirements into account. Only after these two aspects are taken into account, the company can go ahead and think about what unique feature to offer to customers.
Example:
Competition
What are my main competitors known for?
Every DayMail – known for their huge selection for different market segments
Crazy Mail – known for their beautiful templates
GlobalMail – known for their thorough analytical reports*
* fictitious companies
What is the chinese overseas europe phone number data in my industry?
Most email marketing software offers:
- personalized options
— features of market segments
— gallery of email templates
- analytical reports
You wrote down some points too? Awesome. Let's continue.
5. How am I different?
Finally! We're talking about you! Now you have a list of your competitors' unique features and common practices in your industry.
So… why do you even need this list? Because you should try not to use any of these points as your USP.
What?! We know, we know. Listen.
First, you have your competitors' unique offerings. They're obviously good at these things. That's why they're flaunting them all over town. Now, of course, you can go after their key selling points.
But the truth is that your competitors are not your enemies . You should not fight on your own territory, but rather find something new and fresh to offer your customers.