By Henry Brown

The great thing about the free market is that the new entrepreneur on the block can climb to the top of their industry if they keep working at it. You might feel intimidated by the big businesses in your marketplace, but you can reach that level. But plenty of small businesses with great ideas still fail during the first few years of opening, so it’s about more than innovation and motivation. It’s about planning. The advice in this article should definitely help you to make a smart long-term plan. Here’s how your new company can get ahead of the competition.

Get to know your target market.

You might have an idea of your intended demographic, but you need more than that. If you want to get ahead of the competition, you have to know more about your target market than your rivals. You have to get to know them. So, do your research. Talk to customers. Feedback is valuable. And we’re talking about negative feedback, not just positive feedback. Obviously, positive feedback is valuable, too; when posted on your website and social media pages, it can improve your reputation and draw in new customers. But you won’t grow unless you invite negative feedback. Or, to word it more kindly, honest and constructive feedback.

If your existing and potential customers tell you what’s wrong with your business and the industry at large, then you’ll be able to build a picture of your target market. You’ll be able to figure out what they’re missing. This is essential for your new company to get ahead of the competition. You’re trying to fill gaps in the market. That’s how you’ll distinguish yourself from your competitors. You’ll boost your customer base if you offer new solutions to the market. It’ll show people that you really care about their wants and needs. This will help your company to start making a name for itself. You also need to put customers first.

Boost your online presence.

If you want to get ahead of the competition, then your new company needs to use the internet to its advantage. The internet can really level the playing field for businesses. It doesn’t matter which business is the biggest – all that matters is your web content. That determines how well you rank on search engines. In turn, the websites that rank the highest on result pages are most likely to be found by potential customers. You might want to get a technical SEO audit so experts can help you to position your company at the top of search result pages. Professional assistance could be the key to getting ahead of the competition. You need to boost your online presence if you want to beat your rivals.

Always provide extra value.

Companies can often be differentiated from one another based on small details. If you want your new company to get ahead of the competition, then you should always try to offer slightly more than your rivals. Always provide extra value. It could make all the difference. Including some bonuses with each purchase could keep customers coming back to your business time and time again. You might sell near-identical products to your competitors but offer loyalty points that can be redeemed for discounts at your store in the future. Or maybe you donate a portion of your profits to a particular charity. Always provide extra value and you’ll win over consumers.

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Henry Brown is an online marketing executive. When he isn’t talking shop, he’s roaming the streets of London, uncovering the extra-ordinary in the ordinary.