--- title: Your competition description: Do you do the same thing as everybody else in your market? Or do you stand out from the competition? image: https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hub/413105/file-1701008609.jpg --- [Skip to main content](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/your-competition#maincontent) [ «  View All Posts ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog) # Your competition September 25th, 2014 1 min read By [David Meerman Scott](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/author/david-meerman-scott) ![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hub/413105/file-1701008609.jpg/Sales_competition.jpg.jpg?width=3068&height=2272&name=Sales_competition.jpg.jpg) On a recent trip to Belize, I had an opportunity to visit several Mayan archeological sites. At [Xunantunich](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xunantunich), located near San Ignacio in the Cayo District, visitors must ride a small hand cranked ferry across a river to reach the site. And right next to the ferry loading area are about a dozen souvenir shops. These shops are identical. They are housed in a communal building and each has the same floor space. ![Sales_competition](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hub/413105/file-1701008609.jpg?width=643&name=file-1701008609.jpg) **How to compete?** The shop closest to the ferry (on the left in this photo) has an advantage because it is the closest to the ferry dock. This particular shop had more items on display than the others, perhaps making it more interesting to shoppers. But this shop also featured a bunch of kids hanging out on the steps. Does that make it less inviting to come in? I’m not sure I’d want to step over the kids, thinking it would be easier to go to one of the other shops. I kept wondering how a differentiator could be used by one of the shopkeepers. Could one offer something like free ice-cold water to tourists as an incentive to come in? Or maybe free Wi-Fi (you have to enter the shop to get the password). But then it might become an arms race where everyone else would have to offer the water or the Wi-Fi too. **Standing out on the web** It’s much easier to stand out online. You can provide the best content and be the most engaged. You can share content and publish your own. Unlike the trinket salespeople in Belize who rely on foot traffic only, you can take advantage of search engines to drive people to your virtual storefront and encourage others to share your stuff. Yet most businesses compete on the Web in the same way that these Belizean shops do. They have a website that looks just like the competition. They use language to describe their offerings that is interchangeable with the competition. You have an opportunity to distinguish yourself and your business with the content you create. How do you compete? [ David Meerman Scott ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/author/david-meerman-scott) David Meerman Scott is a business growth strategist, advisor to clever entrepreneurs who are building emerging companies, and the international bestselling author of a dozen books published in 30 languages. David’s high-energy keynote presentations, masterclasses, and virtual events educate, energize, and inspire. Connect: [mailto:david@freshspot.com](mailto:david@freshspot.com) Topics: [ Case Studies ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/topic/case-studies) [ Sales Strategies ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/topic/sales-strategies) Don't forget to share this post: ## Related Articles [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/HubSpot%2020th.jpeg?width=800&height=448&name=HubSpot%2020th.jpeg) ### Congratulations Team HubSpot for 20 Years of Helping Organizations Grow June 12th, 2026|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/congratulations-team-hubspot-for-20-years-of-helping-organizations-grow) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Scott%20Pryor.jpg?width=1500&height=771&name=Scott%20Pryor.jpg) ### How Filmmaking and Fronting a Rock Band Make Scott Pryor a Better Lawyer May 27th, 2026|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/how-filmmaking-and-fronting-a-rock-band-make-scott-pryor-a-better-lawyer) 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