by Michael Wong

How many of your visitors enter your website via your home page and leave without moving any further into your website? Are you struggling to convert browsers into sales? Are you struggling to convert one-time customers into repeat customers?

By adding your USP, or Unique Selling Proposition, you will encourage more visitors to explore your website. You will also convert more browsers into customers and give your customers a reason to buy from you time and time again.

So what is your USP? Your USP is that single unique benefit, appeal or promise that you can offer to your prospects, that no other competitor offers. Most business owners cannot express the USP of their company, product or service. And even less have one to talk about. It should be the one unique, attractive selling advantage you can deliver. Your USP may be any part of your marketing strategy; price, quality, service, choice or exclusivity. Your USP could be one of the following:

1: You offer the cheapest price for the product or service you're selling, than any other company.
2: You offer a higher quality product or service than any of your competitors.
3: You offer the widest choice or selection of products than anyone else.
4: You provide more customer service, assistance or education, before, during and after the sale than any of your competitors.
5: You offer more bonus products, services or premiums than anyone else.
6: You offer the fastest delivery time for your products than any of your competitors.
7: You offer a longer period of guarantee or warranty than any of your competitors.

The number of USPs is infinite, but you must first decide exactly what your company's USP is or should be, before you can integrate it into your marketing plan. It is best to adopt a USP that addresses a void in the market place, that you can honestly fill.

So does your business have a USP? Not surprisingly, most businesses don't have a USP. They don't promise any great value, benefit or service to their customers and prospects. It's not really surprising that most businesses lacking a USP merely get by. At best they might provide the owners with a living, but they won't become as successful as they had first dreamt of, when they started the business.

Would you want to buy from a company that has no unique benefits, incredible prices, selection, service or guarantee. Or would you prefer a company that offers the widest choice, lowest prices, best service or the highest quality products or service. So, can you see what a USP does in establishing your company's perceived image.

Now take a look back at the first three USPs I mentioned; widest choice, lowest prices and best service. Does Amazon offer all 3 USPs? Of course they do. So you can see why they are so successful, while the rest of us are struggling to survive. The rest simply just don't have a single USP that they can offer to their customers and Amazon have at least 3 USPs to offer. All the most successful companies you can name have at least one USP.

So how do you pick a USP? You do this by identifying a void or niche in the market, that you can fill. You can even create a combination of USPs. One's that integrate one marketing gap with another. It is critical that you can deliver on your USP, or it can do more damage than good.

Once you have picked your USP, you must work on your USP, until you can state clearly exactly what your USP is in one short sentence. The USP is the nucleus, around which you will build your company's success. So be sure that you can clearly state it. Because if you can't state it, then your prospects won't see it.

Now try to write down your company's USP. It may be quite long, but that's ok. Just rewrite it again and again, until your USP is one clearly defined sentence. Now incorporate it into every aspect of your business and website and build your business around it. Rework your home page to convey your new USP. Clearly conveying your USP into your company's marketing and day-to-day performance, will ensure your success.