How to Make Customers Notice, Want, and Buy Your Product.

What do infrared thermometers, pocket microscopes, and selfie ring lights have in common?

If you’re a shopper, probably nothing.

But if you sell products for shoppers to buy online, then there is a ton to learn from these products.

First, imagine that you’re shopping for a product like an infrared thermometer. You’re scrolling through the product listings, and they all have the same design, same features, and appear to be the same quality. Which one do you go with? Probably the one with the most reviews or the one with the lowest price.

As a seller new to the infrared thermometer market, you can’t just sell yet another run-of-the-mill product and hope to get sales. When you first start selling your product, you will have zero reviews, so a shopper wouldn’t choose your product for that reason. If you try to compete on price, then not only do you significantly cut into your profit margins, but you will likely be outdone by a Chinese seller who was able to buy the product at a lower cost.

So, how do you get customers to notice, want, and buy your product? You have to make your product different from the rest.

Infrared thermometers, pocket microscopes, and selfie ring lights all provide excellent examples of differentiation.

What is differentiation?

When you produce a product that is different from what already exists on the market, that is differentiation.

When you differentiate a product, you produce either a novel product or an improved version of an existing product. As long as you are adding value to a product, then you are giving shoppers a reason to choose your product whether you have reviews or not.

In other words, differentiation is when you make a product that is better than your competition. At Just One Dime, we like to call it “betterentiation” since you don’t just make a product that is different but also one that is better.

How do you know what to differentiate in a product?

Start by going to Amazon.com, the largest and most trusted online marketplace in the world. Observe:

  1. What customers favor and buy the most
  2. Your competition’s customer feedback

The most helpful feedback tends to be in two, three, and four star reviews. Five star reviews tend to not say anything critical of the product. One star reviews tend to be less reliable and come from buyers having a bad day. A helpful review may say, “I like this product but I wish this edge wasn’t sharp…” Whatever proceeds that “but” is an opportunity to improve the product.

Once you know what can be improved in a product, you can apply a variety of differentiation strategies to the undifferentiated product.

Today, I will use 3 real-to-life product examples to show you 3 differentiation strategies that you can use for your next Amazon product.

1) Solve an unsolved problem

Example: Selfie Ring Light

This device is meant to help people record and take images of themselves by providing good lighting. Selfie ring lights usually have a spot for you to mount your phone or camera.

Some people also like the ring effect selfie ring lights make around their iris.

Differentiation Step 1: Observe what customers favor.

When you search “selfie ring light” on Amazon, the top product results look the same. They all have flimsy aluminum stands and tripod legs.

When you see similarity in your market, then there’s opportunity for you to break that mold and stand out.

I found via sales data that customers favor ring lights that look bigger. This tells you that you should produce a large ring light if you want to enter this market.

Differentiation Step 2: Analyze Customer Reviews.

The most common gripes mentioned in reviews were:

  • Ring light is too small. Buyers complained that the light was much smaller than expected and didn’t provide enough light for their intended effect.
  • Flimsy base. These tripods move easily—which is a problem when you’re recording video. And you don’t want an expensive camera or phone falling with the tripod to the ground.
  • No desk mounting option. You could create a base to be desk mountable.
  • Inadequate phone/camera mounting. The existing mounting systems didn’t securely hold cameras and phones in place. Many of them couldn’t mount professional cameras at all.

Differentiation Solution: Solve a problem by making an improved version of an existing item.

For today’s purposes, I will use pre-made Alibaba.com products as examples of differentiated products. Keep in mind that you are better protecting the long-term health of your business when you design a novel, more differentiated product because then it is harder for other sellers to copy you.

I found a ring light on Alibaba that already addresses customers’ biggest gripes. In the Just One Dime Amazon FBA Mastery membership, I show you exactly how to find high quality, trustworthy suppliers on Alibaba and other sourcing websites.

This new selfie ring light model:

  • Has a heavy, sturdy base
  • Is desk mountable
  • Has a 12 inch ring light
  • Can mount phones and professional cameras
  • Looks significantly different from most selfie ring lights
  • Is not on the Amazon.com platform yet

Once you affix a brand label and feature superior packaging, then this product can stand out and make tons of sales on Amazon.

2) Offer a superior, new-to-Amazon version

Example: Pocket Microscope

It’s a portable device that allows customers to magnify to a microscopic level.

Differentiation Step 1: Observe what customers favor.

When you search “pocket microscope” on Amazon, you will see two main versions of this product:

1) A plug into your phone-version. It fastens to a base that rests on a desk. You connect a cable from the device to your phone that allows you to see the magnified image via an app.

2) A hand held version. This type of pocket microscope comes with a clip where you can put your phone’s camera up against the viewfinder.

All of the best selling pocket microscopes look like one model or the other.

Some microscopes are priced at more than $40, which tells you that there may be a path to producing premium priced products. 😉

Differentiation Step 2: Analyze Customer Reviews.

The most common gripes mentioned in reviews were:

  • It is difficult to keep steady and retain focus.
  • The phone clip does not support the phone (specifically the handheld version).

Differentiation Solution: Offer a superior, new-to Amazon product.

Let’s go for a quality premium product since the market accepts high prices. When you go premium, not only do you usually increase your profit margins, but you can build a brand around premium products and grow via a reputation for quality. This is the strategy Just One Dime always takes when launching new products for investors via the Done For You program—where our experts do all the work of building your brand on Amazon, and we all share the profits.

I found a new-to-Amazon version of the pocket microscope on Alibaba. This product:

  • Provides a novel digital display that eliminates the need for using your phone.
  • It looks visually different from both models out there right now. This will generate interest and clicks on Amazon.
  • It can be handheld but also has an attachable base.
  • This is a higher quality microscope. It renders a better image.

3) Improve via bundling

Example: Infrared Thermometer

Infrared thermometers give contactless body temperature readings. These products boomed in popularity with the recent health crisis.

Differentiation Step 1: Observe what customers favor.

When you search “infrared thermometer” on Amazon, you will see extremely similar product images. However, minimalist designs (bottom right) do better than the rest.

Because even the most basic versions charge more than $30, there is a good chance that you can go premium with this product as well.

Differentiation Step 2: Analyze customer reviews.

The most common gripes mentioned in reviews were:

  • Inaccurate measurements. Customers took their temperature, waited 10 minutes and then took their temperature again to dramatically different results. Buyers asked, “How can I trust this?”
  • No storage solution. The instructions said that the infrared thermometer should be stored safely but provided no storage solution such as a carry case. Not only would this alteration be easy, but a main product image that includes the case would help the listing stand out on Amazon results page.

Differentiation Solution: Offer a unique product bundle that customers desire.

“Frequently bought together” sections on Amazon listings are a great way to find bundle ideas.

I found an infrared thermometer on Alibaba with a higher certification for accuracy that is both minimalist and is not on Amazon yet.

You can easily design a storage case for this product.

Which differentiation strategy will you follow?

  1. Create a better version of an existing product
  2. Create a new-to-Amazon version of a product
  3. Product bundling

Let me know in the comments!

Authored by Seth Kniep.

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