According to Netcraft, a January 2018 survey found that there are over 1.8 billion websites in existence today. While this number seems enormous, not every site receives regular visitors, if any at all. However, it does mean that there is a lot of competition out there regardless of your niche. To combat this, you need to have a competitive advantage.
Stand Out In the Crowd
Distinguishing yourself from the competition can seem overwhelming. After all, if you are not a marketing expert, it can be hard simply trying to figure out where to start. Below are some of the most important ways you can give yourself the advantage over your competitors.
- Show your brand. A brand is more than just a logo or product. Knowing who you are, what you offer, and why you are the best choice is important to your customers. Creative biographies, links to industry affiliates, certifications and awards, press recognition, testimonials, and other such things help build confidence with potential customers.
- Know who you are. A serious, deep analysis of your strengths, weaknesses, and areas of improvement helps you grow into the company you want to be.
- Know your competition. Competitive analysis is an important process in the world of business. Just as you should know your strengths and weaknesses, you should also know those of your competitors.
- Make a stand. Whether you are selling a product or providing a service, supporting content should take a stand that resonates with visitors. While this does not mean you have to opt for a side of a controversial topic, unique stands tend to increase user engagement.
- Resonate with customers. Your website is more than just a sales pitch. Your content should be written with a full understanding of your audience. Communicate how you enhance their life. Draw support from testimonials, case studies, and other positive feedback you might have received.
- Do not use stock photographs in your website design. Stock photographs are available to anyone who searches for them. Make your company stand out with unique pictures.
- Provide evidence. Displaying examples, metrics and testimonials help provide proof of your claims. From showing you respond to customer requests to showcasing how your services helped individuals or other companies excel, the evidence provides a snapshot of your success.
- Test drive. Companies that want to stay relevant often test new ideas. This shows innovation and a desire to give customers more.
- Be more transparent. Behind-the-scenes peeks make companies appear more personable. Customers like to see how things are made, companies operate, and services are provided. Show them.
- Invest in yourself. From hiring the best employees to making bold guarantees, a company is an investment. Retaining employees who know and foster your brand’s mentality is important to convey a consistent message to visitors. Poor customer service, failure to live up to your guarantees, or empty promises to your clients can send them right back to your competitors without a backward glance.
Why Site Updates Are Important
Updates are important for several reasons.
With Google ranking affecting the placement of your website in their search results, continual updates is more vital than ever before. Search engine optimization (SEO) and keywords, for example, are continually changing and evolving in ways that require ongoing, regular evaluations. Updated content, based on competitive analysis and other factors, can help keep your website relevant.
Updating your WordPress, plugins, widgets and other features is also important. Security vulnerabilities are often detected and fixed with each new update. Customer satisfaction takes a huge hit if your security is breached, thus making these updates extremely important to you and your clients.
What is WordPress & Why Should I Use It?
WordPress is the world’s leading content management system (CMS). As a free, user-friendly platform, WordPress gives website owners creative license over their entire design. From the initial setup to maintaining and updating your website, WordPress offers you almost complete control.
Best yet, WordPress does not require you to be a professional coder. While it does support coding, website owners can design their site without ever having to look at HTML. Additionally, with thousands of different themes, cores, plugins, and widgets available – WordPress lets you incorporate the functionality you need quickly and easily.
BionicWP Is the Solution You Need
Not all website hosting companies help you succeed. At BionicWP, we want to help you beat the competition. Our reliable and affordable secure WordPress hosting services are specifically designed to give you an advantage. WordPress hosting packages with us include unlimited 30-minute tasks, professional support, off-site backups, real-time monitoring, daily security scans and much more. Our WordPress core, theme and plugin updates help ensure you have the most secure WordPress hosting services possible.
Visit BionicWP today to learn more about our secure WordPress hosting packages!