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Product positioning is an important task of sales engineering and marketing, which together make a product appear in the best light. Unlike in the past, a company’s high product quality and stable market position do not only devalue sales success. In the course of the digital transformation, other factors are added that affect sales. In particular, a strong website is addressed here, which promotes effective product positioning on the Internet. This post focuses on a commercial website and shows how it should be designed to stay in the memory of (potential) customers.
A book recommendation for this is The Book by April Dunford on the Art of Product Positioning. This book is not about the theory of positioning. Instead, it handles a 10-step process to determine product positioning. Dunford explains that this is a process that you need to repeat throughout your business life; Markets are changing and products need to change with them.
How does product positioning work?
Product positioning describes a bundle of marketing activities that are designed to present a product in the best light. It is intended to gain a certain market share relative to the competition. To position a product effectively, a company has two goals: product goal and marketing goal. From a product point of view, it is a matter of underlining a unique selling point of a product compared to products from competitors. From a marketing point of view, it is important that (potential) customers know a product and understand its specifics. Both goals can be achieved by making every product and marketing decision based on a positioning strategy.
In this context, the STP process has a special role to play. This is a three-step strategic process: segmentation, targeting, and positioning. What does this mean for you as a marketing manager? In the first step, you want to define segmentation criteria and use it to perform market segmentation. In the second step, you analyze and evaluate segments for their attractiveness. Then select target segments. In the final step, you create positioning concepts for each target segment. These must be agile and have a rapid adaptability to new market conditions.
In times of digital transformation, product positioning is increasingly taking place online. This is because (potential) customers are increasingly in the digital space. Here you can find out about the products you are looking for and make their purchases. In order to boost sales on the Internet, companies use a wide range of activities in the field of online marketing. Product positioning on its own website, on social networks and at Google, to name but a few, is part of the everyday life of a marketing team – certainly also in your company.
Sales Engineering in the Digital Age
Product positioning is based on three basic elements: the product,the target group, and the desired image. The key questions here are: What does your product do? Who are your desired customers? Why should customers buy your product? To boost your sales, you can use an active or passive positioning strategy. While the former refers to the classic 4Ps, the second is suitable for a product that has already firmly established itself on the market. In this case, it is primarily a matter of defining a clear Unique Selling Proposition (USP).
In the digital age, companies are finding it increasingly difficult to position their products. The reason for this is the growing competition and high customer demands that are placed on companies and their products on the Internet. A product should not only be of high quality, but also convey positive emotions. A unique customer experience along the digital customer journey is becoming highly relevant. Ensuring an individual customer experience on relevant digital touchpoints is the key to product positioning.
All of this leads companies to focus marketing on digital touchpoints and make their web presence as appealing as possible. In addition to the social networks mentioned above and Google, its own website is also a high priority in this regard. This has long since ceased to serve the former goal of corporate presentation. Rather, the website is considered an indispensable point of contact on the digital customer journey, which has to fulfill the following tasks: information, unterhalten, consulting and support when purchasing. The activities around sales and online marketing must be in harmony.
Marketing for the successful website
The idea behind a commercial website is to anchor your own product in the minds of the desired customers and generate sales. Whether this succeeds depends on a number of factors. A good usability and user experience are definitely part of it. Without a clear and user-friendly interface, there is no positive user experience. A clear menu structure allows intuitive orientation on the website and fast loading times ensure a better conversion rate. What else counts from the point of view of online marketing and sales engineering on your commercial website? Here are a few tips:
Tip 1: Formulate attractive brand message
We are talking here about a unique selling point that clearly distinguishes the identity of a product from competitors. At this point, it is important to consider which mission, vision and values a product wants to communicate to the outside world. What makes it so special? Why should customers love and buy it? A precise brand message, which is an integral part of marketing, makes it possible to highlight the uniqueness of your product.
Tip 2: Stay authentic and build trust
It is no secret that customers are attracted to companies that are authentic and maintain long-term customer relationships in an open and trusting atmosphere. Sales engineering takes on a new meaning here. It’s not just about generating sales on a commercial website, it’s also about building a holding customer relationship that is reflected in customer loyalty and emotional customer loyalty.
Tip 3: Publish Authentic References
Today’s customers are sophisticated and well-informed. Before they decide to buy a product, they want to make sure that it meets all expectations. To learn more about a desired product, visit online review portals where they can get advice. Publishing authentic references on a commercial website is an effective marketing ploy. It simplifies the way and creates a sense of transparency.
Conclusion: Sales Engineering in the Spirit of Time
Today, product positioning is dominated by online marketing. Its primary task is to target a company and its product in the digital space. The advancing digitalization offers various possibilities in this context, with one’s own commercial website remaining one of the most important marketing tools. Its greatest advantage is that it not only provides a company presentation, but also promotes sales and active customer communication. As an integral part of online marketing, the website takes a company and its product to a new level.
