There is no shortage of gurus and Internet experts. Take a look at any industry represented online and you’ll find numerous websites and blogs that claim to be their number one source of information on the subject at hand. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this. In fact, if you want to increase blog traffic and develop a trusted audience, you need to position yourself as an expert in your field.

However, the number one question to ask yourself before spending time and energy building your website is why should people listen to you?

What is the value of you?

I’ve talked before about the value of knowing who your target market is and making sure you’re giving them what they want. However, this goes a bit further than that. Let’s face it, you could probably swing a cat and hit at least ten other experts who offer the same information you provide to consumers in your market. What makes your advice better than your competition? What is your advantage?

What is your unique selling point?

A unique selling point is something that makes you stand out from the crowd. It’s something people can’t get from anyone else and the main reason your customers want to do business with you. This is why certain bloggers can command thousands of blog readers while others offering the exact same information can only command a few dozen. If you want to increase blog traffic, you need to figure out what your unique selling point is and market it as a benefit to your readers.

For example, take two different types of soft drinks: Pepsi and generic. Although generic sodas are cheaper (sometimes up to 50% less than brand-name sodas), people still buy Pepsi by the case. Why? For the taste.

Pepsi’s unique selling point is the way it tastes. That’s something that can’t be replicated in generic brand soft drinks no matter what they say on their packaging. When people buy a Pepsi, they trust that they will get the taste they are looking for. That trust drops significantly when they consider the generic brand. Even if the two brands are together with an obvious price difference in favor of the generic soda, people will pay more for Pepsi.

Likewise, people will pay more attention to you if you have a unique selling point that they like that they can’t get anywhere else.

Tips for discovering your unique selling point

Discovering your unique selling point requires some research and a lot of thought about what you’re really offering your customers.

* Look at your main competition. How are they different from you? How are they similar? Read his blog posts. Which posts get the most comments and why? Read their testimonials. What do customers say they like best about doing business with them? If customers are accessible, you could even go undercover and ask for a recommendation and see what they say.

* Assess your target market. What things are most important to them? What problems are they trying to solve with the products, services or information available in their industry? Is there a need that is not being met?

* Determine what is unique about your company. What are your values? What problems do you solve for your clients? How are your products better than your customers? If you are offering the exact same thing, how can you increase the value of them?

Finding your unique selling point may involve executing on an idea and then tweaking it over time. However, it’s worth the effort if you want to increase traffic to your website and develop a group of customers who love you and your business to the exclusion of everyone else.