As anyone who has ever tried to make it in the blogosphere will know, one of the first things we’re told is that we have to have a niche. There are quite literally thousands of people sharing their wisdom and wit online, and to stand out you should choose one specific topic and stick to it in order to stand out from the crowd. 

 

Now, that is definitely great advice when it comes to blogging, though we’d argue that it’s okay to branch out and do different things every now and again. However, when it comes to running a small business, we think that variety may well be the way forward. As blogs often become small businesses, this can be a tricky line to walk, but there’s definitely a case to made for offering more.

 

Let’s take one of the largest online markets there is: Retail. Most top retailers have more categories than you can shake a coat hanger at. The clothing store ASOS is a great example of this and, in fact, is probably synonymous with variety at this point. Instead of specialising mostly in women’s party wear like Boohoo or men’s suits like Ben Sherman, ASOS offers almost every type of clothing you can think of. They then double down by offering hundreds of different pieces in each and every category, as we’re sure anyone who’s looked at the infamous ASOS dress sales will know!

 

Of course, variety is key in many other online business genres as well. For instance, ever since the internet first became a household amenity, online casinos have ruled the web, but it’s only the brands that offer plenty of variety that have managed to stick around. One great example of this is Redbet, an online casino platform that’s been providing variety for years now. This company doesn’t just offer the basic poker, blackjack and roulette that gamers expect, but plenty of different versions of the classic table games. Then there’s also a wide variety of slots from big names like Starburst to exclusive titles like Golden Colts, as well as sports betting, live betting and live casino games. Sites like these offer so much variety that only the best brands are able to compete with them and top the online casino charts.  

 

Between the success of online casinos and eCommerce clothing stores, it’s clear to see that offering customers a variety of different things can be a route to success. Of course, you don’t have to offer everything in the world like these case studies we’ve looked at do. They’re big brands that represent the very best of their genre, and we don’t expect you to reach their level overnight. Instead, start by branching out more when it comes to the products you offer your customers and over time add more variety, you could also consider offering a wider variety of amenities, such as a custom-made app, for instance. If you can’t build the app yourself, there are plenty of app developers in London to choose from – many of which are able to offer some fantastic deals. 

 

When it comes to building a portfolio of products, slow and steady definitely wins the race. The more you have to offer, the more customers looking for different things you’ll attract, and before you know it you’ll be on the way to being a big brand yourself.