Niche Appeal

Many sites that we review have nothing unique about them – no value, no reason for existence. I think that

“Work at Home Directory” sites are perhaps the worst violators of the originality rules, but there are many sites

which contain nothing worth coming back to.

If I do a net search, and find 50 substantially identical websites, what is to compel me to use one instead

of the other?

This issue is perhaps even more extreme with distributor sites, because you are selling identical

products, so you have to find some other way to differentiate yourself. When there is nothing different between

products, it happens in your words, your site design and overall message, your experience, your willingness to

be accessible, and in your helpfulness.

Something about your site needs to be unique, and something about it needs to be appealing. It

can be a different way of providing a service, it can be uncommon payment terms, it can be

unique products, or it can be the way in which you sell them. Perhaps you display a sense of

humor through your site that makes some people enjoy shopping there. Perhaps you explain

confusing things in a way people can understand. Perhaps you have better product details or

photos on your site than the competition. It just has to be something that your target market will

appreciate, that you do, that they cannot find easily anywhere else.

The internet has opened up a worldwide marketplace. That means no matter where you live, you have an

opportunity to carve out a slice of the world revenue share, and craft a stable business.

But with all that

opportunity, came greater competition.

You are now not only marketing to the whole world, you are

COMPETING with the whole world. That means you really have to find a way to access those people for whom

your business will be the best fit. It is a lot harder than picking teams on the playground where all you had to do

is wave your hand and say, “Pick me, pick me!”

Niche appeal is not just one thing you do on your site. It consists of determining just what DOES make your

business different, and then insuring that this most important message is apparent in every element of your site.

If you are presenting yourself as a caring counselor, you want to build a site presence that is

approachable, considerate, and that has evidence of gentleness.

If you are presenting yourself as professional and innovative, then your site needs to reflect those

qualities in the words, images, arrangement, navigation, and details.

If you are promoting yourself as accessible in a market that typically is not, then you need to BE

accessible, and it needs to be visible on every page of your site.

Your niche should be an integral part of your slogan and marketing messages. Your entire site needs to echo

that message, and emphasize it. This can set you apart at first glance, and welcome a visitor to whom your focus

is important, even if they have not really identified for themselves that it IS important to them.

So think about the question, “Why should they buy from ME, specifically?” Then see if the answer is

subtly evident from any perspective in your site.