As a business owner, you want people to spend money on your business rather they go and shop at other places. Because of e-commerce boom, shoppers have too many choices these days. Your business must stand out from hundreds or even thousands of competitors.

--Cheaper is Better?--

Maybe, you are thinking cheapest price will attract customers. Sure, it does, but that's way most of dot coms end up deleted from syberspace. They priced their products or services too low. Their profit barely covered their expenses. Webmasters hope increased business volume will give them big bucks someday, but that "someday" never comes. If each sales doesn't make any net profit, increased sales volume won't make any profit either. Zero times one million is still zero. That's simple arithmetic, isn't it?

--The Best is Good?--

OK, cheapest doesn't work. How about being best or better? Well, providing best products or services is essential, but telling people yours is best doesn't work. Phrases like "the best deal," "the best quality," etc., are overused already. Today's shoppers are accustomed to those phrases. They don't think any product can REALLY be best. They just think "Here comes another one," and they are gone.

--Be Different and Be Unique--

Like many women, I have my own "Avon Lady," someone from whom I have ordered on a regular basis over last couple of years. Mary works in same office building as I do, one floor below mine.

I suppose Mary makes a nice little side income from her Avon customers. But Mary has a bad business habit that I think we can all learn from, and avoid.

Whenever I order items from an Avon catalog, Mary always delivers them to me promptly, in one of those little white Avon bags that company provides. Inside bag, along with items I've ordered, she conveniently includes a copy of newest Avon catalog. So far, so good.

But here's thing--if, for whatever reason, I don't happen to order anything from new catalog, Mary seldom drops me off a copy of *next* catalog. Or one after that. Or one after that. In fact, if I don't order during a particular campaign, only way I get a copy of newest Avon catalog is when I call and ask her for one!