New Website: Difference between 'Me Too' and having a USP

[Laughingman21]

When does a new online store move from being another 'me too' website selling branded products into something with a USP and hence worth persuing as a business.

In my mind, I would have said it came down to adding VALUE. For example:

• Product photos - more and better quality than the competition
• Sales copy - highlighting benefits, not features
• Better customer service - being contactable by phone
• Mobile friendly websites
• Better marketing - using social media and influencers
• Clear returns policy and delivery charges

In your opinion, are actions like these adding sufficient value to make a new online store a viable business or is there more needed?

 

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[Ecom man]

When does a new online store move from being another 'me too' website selling branded products into something with a USP and hence worth persuing as a business.

In my mind, I would have said it came down to adding VALUE. For example:

• Product photos - more and better quality than the competition
• Sales copy - highlighting benefits, not features
• Better customer service - being contactable by phone
• Mobile friendly websites
• Better marketing - using social media and influencers
• Clear returns policy and delivery charges

In your opinion, are actions like these adding sufficient value to make a new online store a viable business or is there more needed?

How much time and money would it take to get the website up and running?

 

[Laughingman21]

How much time and money would it take to get the website up and running?

It would depend on the number of products it offered. With a high number of products, producing the photos and sales copy would take me a long time as I work full time.

I'd try to launch with a lower number of products and expand from there.

The costs would depend on what market was entered and the product costs.

 

[eagleye101]

How much time and money would it take to get the website up and running?

I'd say ~48hrs with less than $1,000

 

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[Laughingman21]

I'd say ~48hrs with less than $1,000

I'd say longer than that if there's a lot of products. If I'm re-writing the sales copy and doing new photos, this alone would take more than 48 hours.

I'd also need stock which would costs more than $1,000.

 

[eagleye101]

How many products?

If you complete the initial website setup then you can add each day a few products. How long does it take you to add a product? The most time consuming is the copywriting.

About photos, don't spend money on that initially. You can go to:

• pexels.com
• pixabay.com
• unsplash.com

and more. And then combine/edit with canva.com

 

[Digamma]

"Wow, I too want to sell bagel catchers!"

vs​

"These bagel catchers shops suck and their products sucks too! A better service can be given to people who want to catch bagels!"

This is the difference. It becomes a USP when telling it to people is no more received with a shrug.
Quite literally, if you can't use it as a selling point, it's not a unique selling proposition. You are just doing the same thing better.

 

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[trace987]

When does a new online store move from being another 'me too' website selling branded products into something with a USP and hence worth persuing as a business.

In my mind, I would have said it came down to adding VALUE. For example:

• Product photos - more and better quality than the competition
• Sales copy - highlighting benefits, not features
• Better customer service - being contactable by phone
• Mobile friendly websites
• Better marketing - using social media and influencers
• Clear returns policy and delivery charges

In your opinion, are actions like these adding sufficient value to make a new online store a viable business or is there more needed?

Everything starts from a website, I would say. You should take a look and examine what are the advantages and disadvantages of your website.
Is it modern, responsive, quick and easy to use?
I like landing pages because you don't need to go to a bunch of sections to find something. Also, I agree about the content quality. It should be short, a reasonable description of your website and products that you sell. The third thing is a promotion. Now it became more difficult to promote something so usually, you should use SEO and ads campaign, involving some famous people on the web. There is no right model of course. But I wanted to point those things.

 

[Laughingman21]

"Wow, I too want to sell bagel catchers!"

vs​

"These bagel catchers shops suck and their products sucks too! A better service can be given to people who want to catch bagels!"

This is the difference. It becomes a USP when telling it to people is no more received with a shrug.
Quite literally, if you can't use it as a selling point, it's not a unique selling proposition. You are just doing the same thing better.

So if my website is selling the same branded products as other websites, I need to offer more and of a better quality? Or are you saying you cannot have a USP if selling the same product as someone else?

For example, I was looking to make an online purchase the other day for £500+, but all the websites contain the same single stock image of the item. If I took my own photo's, each highlighting benefits with an improved lifestyle feel, could that be part of my USP?

I.e. Delivering both more and higher quality information to the buyer.

 

[eagleye101]

It all boils down to value. If you're selling the same product with a different image, what value are you offering to your clients? Don't get me wrong, having a nice website with good looking images and nicely presented products is essential (I build websites myself so I kinda know one thing or two) but the real value must be from client's favorite radio station (A.K.A WII FM or What Is In For Me?). Do you remember the chapter about skewing value from unscripted ? Maybe if you offer boundles or lower prices or bonuses would increase the value in comparison to others and making it a "USP"

 

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[Digamma]

So if my website is selling the same branded products as other websites, I need to offer more and of a better quality? Or are you saying you cannot have a USP if selling the same product as someone else?

For example, I was looking to make an online purchase the other day for £500+, but all the websites contain the same single stock image of the item. If I took my own photo's, each highlighting benefits with an improved lifestyle feel, could that be part of my USP?

I.e. Delivering both more and higher quality information to the buyer.

It could, I guess. If your business is the store, rather than the product itself (because you don't produce that).

You could not just be a store, but a whole site about the product. So like the store, plus review-style site, maybe even community?
That could give you what you need.

 

[Laughingman21]

I have to admit, I'm a little confused by some of the responses. After reading @MJ DeMarco 's book and reading threads like @G_Alexander 's on here, I thought that by offering a better service to add value was enough of a USP for a website when starting out, but now I'm starting to doubt that. Instead, the important of the product (over the service) seems to be the key to having a good USP.

However using a coffee shop as an example, I can't help but think that if two coffee shops offer the same coffee, the shop that offers the best experience, atmosphere and friendly service would beat the other shop. Therefore, why wouldn't this principle work online? Or am I missing something?

 

[MJ DeMarco]

However using a coffee shop as an example, I can't help but think that if two coffee shops offer the same coffee, the shop that offers the best experience, atmosphere and friendly service would beat the other shop. Therefore, why wouldn't this principle work online? Or am I missing something?

Yes, because you're skewing value. Operations with value skews win value competitions. Winners of value competitions win money.

The productocacy is built on value skews which make the product a clear and better alternative. However just because you've skewed value, doesn't make your produce/service a productocracy.

Value skew and productocracies aren't transitive...

A productocracy will have a lot of value skews...
However a product with value skews won't necessary equate to a productocracy.

 

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[Laughingman21]

Yes, because you're skewing value. Operations with value skews win value competitions. Winners of value competitions win money.

The productocacy is built on value skews

which make the product a clear and better alternative. However just because you've skewed value, doesn't make your produce/service a productocracy.

Value skew and productocracies aren't transitive...

A productocracy will have a lot of value skews...
However a product with value skews won't necessary equate to a productocracy.

Ok, so I could launch a website but in the knowledge that it relies on a value skew, not a productocracy. If I wanted a productocracy, I would need to do something to make my product unique and better than others.

As I'm selling another companies product and cannot change the core product, I could find other ways of turning it into a productocracy. For example:

• Add an additional product/feature and sell it as a bundle
• Offer a service e.g. Free delivery/installation

Continuing the coffee shop example, would it be offering a free cake with the coffee?

For the time being though, with a new website the value skew would be enough to start selling. I can then focus on a productocracy at a later date.

 

[amp0193]

In my mind, I would have said it came down to adding VALUE. For example:

• Product photos - more and better quality than the competition - Not a USP
• Sales copy - highlighting benefits, not features - Not a USP
• Better customer service - being contactable by phone - Yes, a USP
• Mobile friendly websites - Potentially a USP (i.e. you can now do X feature from your mobile).
• Better marketing - using social media and influencers - Not a USP
• Clear returns policy and delivery charges - Not a USP

In your opinion, are actions like these adding sufficient value to make a new online store a viable business or is there more needed?

All of those are good things you listed are good things to have. But only a couple help to make you unique.

A Unique Selling Proposition is WHAT is different about your product/service/business, not HOW you present your product/service/business.

As someone once said, you can't polish a turd.

This is generally speaking. I know the argument could be made that the way in which you present your business in and of itself could be a USP, but I tend to think of USP as the CORE difference in what you are selling vs. what a competitor is selling.

USP examples:

Competitors ship in 5 days, we ship in 2.
Competior's product needs to be replaced in 6 months. Ours lasts for 2 years.
Competitor's product has no warranty. Our product has a 2 year warranty.
Competitor's product is $50. Our product is $20.
Competitor's product can do X & Y. Our product can do X, Y, Z, A, & B
Competitor requires payment upfront. Our product can be purchased no money down with 12/mo no interest financing.


Not everything about your business needs to be different. But whatever you do choose to be different... it needs to be what you talk about EVERYWHERE. On your website, on your social accounts, in your advertising, in your emails, everywhere. You need to drive that shit home to every customer.

Example: "10 minutes could save you 10% or more on car insurance". <--- USP

Would you tell a customer: "Hey, you should buy from us, because we have better product photos on our website?" No, of course you wouldn't.

Would you tell a customer: "Hey, you should buy from us, because we have free next day shipping, and our product has more features than the competition and sells for half the cost". Hell yeah you would.

 

[Laughingman21]

A Unique Selling Proposition is WHAT is different about your product/service/business, not HOW you present your product/service/business.

As someone once said, you can't polish a turd.

This is generally speaking. I know the argument could be made that the way in which you present your business in and of itself could be a USP, but I tend to think of USP as the CORE difference in what you are selling vs. what a competitor is selling.

USP examples:

Competitors ship in 5 days, we ship in 2.
Competior's product needs to be replaced in 6 months. Ours lasts for 2 years.
Competitor's product has no warranty. Our product has a 2 year warranty.
Competitor's product is $50. Our product is $20.
Competitor's product can do X & Y. Our product can do X, Y, Z, A, & B
Competitor requires payment upfront. Our product can be purchased no money down with 12/mo no interest financing.

Not everything about your business needs to be different. But whatever you do choose to be different... it needs to be what you talk about EVERYWHERE. On your website, on your social accounts, in your advertising, in your emails, everywhere. You need to drive that shit home to every customer.

Example: "10 minutes could save you 10% or more on car insurance". <--- USP

Would you tell a customer: "Hey, you should buy from us, because we have better product photos on our website?" No, of course you wouldn't.

Would you tell a customer: "Hey, you should buy from us, because we have free next day shipping, and our product has more features than the competition and sells for half the cost". Hell yeah you would.

Thanks @amp0193. That's made it much clearer and I can definitely see where I'm going wrong. Whilst having a better online buying experience will give me an advantage over other online stores, it's not enough to be a USP.

I can see now why having your own product is so important. As I want to sell a branded product, that limits the USP's I can use because there's no USP within the product. In which case, I need to focus on the service I provice in addition to the product.

So for the £500+ online example I was looking at, I could offer:

• Free Installation - when most competitiors charge
• Double the Manuafacturers Warranty - 12 months instead of 6
  
• No Hidden Charges - the existing websites take your money but have small print saying they'll call you back an let you know if there's extra costs
• Choose Your Delivery Date
• Hassle Free Experience - this product can require some prep work. Offer a service so the customer places the order and they don't have to lift a finger.

Could only selling certain high quality brands be classed as a USP? i.e. "We Only Offer the Best Widgets on the Market"

 

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[Laughingman21]

I've been thinking on this some more and could a good starting point be to sell a branded product initially with a number of additional accessories/upsells and see which are most popular. Then develop a product that already includes these and sell it my own branded product?

Once I've got this improved product, I would have my own USP.

Or do I need a USP from day one?

 

[Laughingman21]

In fact, could the ability to customise the product through accessories/upsells be my USP?

 

[amp0193]

Thanks @amp0193.
I can see now why having your own product is so important. As I want to sell a branded product, that limits the USP's I can use because there's no USP within the product. In which case, I need to focus on the service I provice in addition to the product.

Not necessarily. Surely there is something different about this branded product from the competitor's. Just because it's not your product, doesn't mean there isn't a USP. Unless, it really is just a copy cat type product.

So for the £500+ online example I was looking at, I could offer:

• Free Installation - when most competitiors charge
• Double the Manuafacturers Warranty - 12 months instead of 6
  
• No Hidden Charges - the existing websites take your money but have small print saying they'll call you back an let you know if there's extra costs
• Choose Your Delivery Date
• Hassle Free Experience - this product can require some prep work. Offer a service so the customer places the order and they don't have to lift a finger.

Yeah, you're getting it man. These are all solid improvements to the core product/service offering. Pick a few that you think will have the biggest impact, and be sure that customers know about it. Then, make the website look sharp, by adding the features to the website that you mention in the OP.

I used to sell used washers/dryers... I can tell you that free delivery/installation was huge. I would do free delivery in exchange for their old broken washer or dryer.

However, it is a time suck, so make sure that you can afford the cost of doing free installations. If they didn't have a trade-in, I charged for curbside delivery, and I charged more for installation. I wasn't willing to do free installation on every order.

Could only selling certain high quality brands be classed as a USP? i.e. "We Only Offer the Best Widgets on the Market"

Maybe. However, the way you're stating it sounds so generic, that I think customers would just ignore that as typical marketing lingo.

I think it'd be better if you had some sort of way to back up this statement. Like if put all the products for all the competitors through some sort of 47-point inspection, and rated them on a scale to 5-stars, and only carried the ones that you knew were going to work and last for a long time. I dunno. Just some evidence to back up your claim that "you only sell the best".

 

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[Laughingman21]

Not necessarily. Surely there is something different about this branded product from the competitor's. Just because it's not your product, doesn't mean there isn't a USP. Unless, it really is just a copy cat type product.

OK. I think I've misunderstood what you've been saying. The branded product I'm looking at has many USP's and I can easily highlight those against other similar products in the market, but at the same time, I also need to highlight my own companies USP's to ensure the buyer makes the sale with me and not another store.

Yeah, you're getting it man. These are all solid improvements to the core product/service offering. Pick a few that you think will have the biggest impact, and be sure that customers know about it. Then, make the website look sharp, by adding the features to the website that you mention in the OP.

I used to sell used washers/dryers... I can tell you that free delivery/installation was huge. I would do free delivery in exchange for their old broken washer or dryer.

However, it is a time suck, so make sure that you can afford the cost of doing free installations. If they didn't have a trade-in, I charged for curbside delivery, and I charged more for installation. I wasn't willing to do free installation on every order.

The idea I've been talking about was initially just meant to be an example, but as I've discussed it on this thread further, I realise there is a genuine oportunity here. I'm going to start looking into the viability of some of the USP's I mentioned earlier, especially the free installation and build this into an online store with the value skews mentioned above (e.g. great website, sales copy and photo's) along with service based USP's. (e.g. free installation)

I've also realised there's a lot of room for improvement on the original product. I think I'm going to try adding some of these improvements as accesories/upsells on the website and see which prove the most popular. I'll then incorporate those into my own design and start speaking to manufacturers about getting the product built so I finally end up with a unique product full of it's own USP's.

Antoher option open so me is to get one model made up and then see if I can get pre-sales to verify the viability of my product.

 

[amp0193]

OK. I think I've misunderstood what you've been saying. The branded product I'm looking at has many USP's and I can easily highlight those against other similar products in the market, but at the same time, I also need to highlight my own companies USP's to ensure the buyer makes the sale with me and not another store.

Ok, I understand you now. Multiple stores selling the same product. Yes, in that case the difference of the product matters less as the difference in you as a store.

How do car dealerships differentiate from one another? That could be a good example for you.

 

[Ecom man]

I'd say ~48hrs with less than $1,000

Here was my point to that question... you've wasted more than 48 hours trying to get people's opinion. Spend the 48 hours and the grand and try it out. If it works then great if not then you know what doesn't work.

 

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[Laughingman21]

Here was my point to that question... you've wasted more than 48 hours trying to get people's opinion. Spend the 48 hours and the grand and try it out. If it works then great if not then you know what doesn't work.

I completely get your point and I'm going to start validating the idea in the coming week. As I work full time, it'll take me a few days to build the website and start testing, but I'll get this done quickly.

For someone like me with very little experience (and that hasn't been very successful), getting feedback from more experienced people has been invaluable and has also given me confidence to move forward. I really appreciate the help from everyone.