Standing Out
If you are an online retailer make sure your store stands out on at least one of the following dimensions:
– unique product (that is very very hard to find elsewhere)
– lowest price (biggest discount)
– largest selection
– friendliest policies (shipping, return, membership discount etc)
– uniquest content (heartfelt editorial, video, superb product photography etc)
– most innovative features (filter options, in stock reminder, gift finder, return-o-meter etc)
If your store has none of these qualities I guarantee you’ll never pay off that loan you took to build the estore.
betterretail
Lowest price is going to be the hardest to sustain. And, do you want to become a commodity dealer? To your point on unique content, I would tout the advantages of good copywriting. It even helps to overcome a poor site experience. For example: http://jpeterman.com/product~cat~100201~sku~MSH%203159.asp and http://www.herringtoncatalog.com/w369.html
Mike Johnson
November 21, 2008 at 3:27 am
Hey Mike, I totally agree. Lowest prices is impossible to maintain (unless you are a Wal-Mart) and I personally don’t think retailers should focus on that attribute. But, it is an available differentiating attribute so I listed it. I think what you refer to as copywriting I call ‘heartfelt editorial’ so here too we are on the same page. Both sites you shared have superb copy, great find.
betterretail
November 21, 2008 at 1:22 pm
[...] any case… If you’re not tired of “me-too,” here’s the other link: how to stand out as an online retailer, from BetterRetail: “If your store has none of these qualities I guarantee you’ll never pay [...]
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