Become the Expert
Become THE Expert
Why must you become the expert? People LOVE to do business with an expert. They feel more secure and they percieve less risk. To stake your claim in your niche you have to position your business (and your self if you're a consultant) as THE expert in your niche.
Need an example? If you were told you’d have to have open heart surgery who would you want operating on you? A heart surgeon specialist, or you family doctor? I’d feel like I was in very capable hands with a heart specialist! In fact I'd probably be willing to pay more to ensure I have the BEST specialist around. Wouldn't you?
If you live in a house with a cedar shake roof, and you need your roof repaired, you’d probably flip through the yellow pages under Roofers and find a contractor to get the job done. If you saw an ad with a headline: "Cedar shakes are our specialty!" Wouldn’t they be the first company you’d call? I would!
Dealing with an expert reduces the risk for a customer, and reassures them that you know what you're doing. They are less likely to have a frustrating experience with an expert. On the Web risk reduction is a powerful tactic to gain trust and rapport with visitors.
When you were in the process of uncovering your niche, we looked at the areas in which you have expertise and where these overlap with the demand for information through online searches. You can increase the size of your niche as the two worlds overlap, but you should never exceed your niche in terms of your expertise. Someone who claims to be an expert at dog training, chimney sweeping, digital photography and low fat recipes isn't much of an expert in the eyes of thier customers. "Jack of all trades, master of none" You want to be the MASTER of {insert your niche here}.
Remember, you are an expert in a narrow specific topic. If you do have expertise in several areas, and many people do, best to have seperate websites for each, so you still appear as an expert to your visitors.
Here's a few ideas to help strengthen your position as an expert:
- Write and submit newsworthy articles to related websites - remember to add your contact info and URL in the footer of each article.
- Get speaking engagements in your community. You can then use these events as "news" and publish the content of your seminars or lectures on your site, further creating the perception of expertise. Depending on your subject matter, call the various membership organizations that relate to your field; Chambers of Commerce; non-profit groups; and colleges and universities (they love guest lecturers).
- Create a "Special Report" and make it available on your site. This can be free, in exchange for contact info and permission to send updates etc.; or it may be a report that you actually sell.
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