Your business is perceived by prospects as either a commodity (bad) or an authority (good).
If you’re seen as a commodity, there’s nothing obvious that sets you apart.
What this looks like in real life → Petrol (fuel)
Many people assume petrol is the same no matter where they buy it. Whether that’s technically true doesn’t matter – the perception is:
Fuel is fuel. It’s interchangeable.
Once people believe everything is the same, price & convenience become the only things that matter.
Here’s how that plays out:
They choose based on price and/or convenience.
They won’t drive an extra 5 minutes or pay more for “better” petrol because they don’t believe there’s a meaningful difference.
This happens in every market. If your business is perceived as a commodity, it becomes very hard to:
Charge more
Win better clients
Generate consistent, high-quality leads
But the good news is: authority is designed, it’s not luck.
Being “just another anything” is the Worst Place to be
How to know you’re a commodity:
💀 You get compared to weaker competitors
💀 You attract low-budget, high-demand clients
💀 Price becomes the only conversation
💀 Leads are unpredictable and low-quality
But when you’re an authority…
✔️ Leads come pre-sold
✔️ You can charge what you’re actually worth
✔️ You attract your dream clients
✔️ You choose clients — not the other way around
Sound better?
Being an authority isn’t just about competence. It’s about making that competence unmistakable through strong positioning, proof and presentation.
Your website has a huge role to play to present you as the authority in your market. Your website is where that authority is proven using thoughtful messaging, strong proof and design that signals expertise at a glance.
The Core Idea - Perception Drives Profit
Many SMEs don’t have a capability problem – they have a perception problem.
Prospects make decisions before they speak to you.
Your external presence determines whether they think:
“This is the one” → enquiry
or
“Just another…” → silence.
What’s the Difference?
| Commodity | Authority |
|---|---|
|
|
What Determines Perception?
Authority is rarely accidental.
It’s the sum of several ingredients working together:
Your website is often where prospects decide whether you’re an authority – or just another option. A well-made website makes that clear before they ever speak to you.
Case Study: Nothing about GoGold's service changed - only how it was presented.
Before:
After:
Whilst this stuff is subjective, no doubt about that – our client has certainly noticed that he gets a lot more clients that are much more “warmed-up” when they speak for the first time. GoGold Real Estate still provide the same service that they had before with their previous website – GoGold still have the same extensive network of developers and experience they had before – just their website design, layout, imagery and copywriting has changed.
The critical moment - before they ever speak with you
- Your website
- Social content
- Proposal
In seconds, they decide (often unconsciously) if you are: An Authority? Or just another “_______”?
If your external presence doesn’t reflect your internal expertise → you get treated like a commodity. And you never even know it happened – because the prospect does not feel compelled to contact you and they go elsewhere."When you’re perceived as an authority, prospects arrive already trusting you and price becomes a detail, not a barrier."
Andrew, Digital Strategist
