How to Do Competitive Market Analysis
Knowing how to perform a competitive market analysis is important for any business owner. It reveals where your business stands in the market, what competitors are doing right or wrong, and how to establish your niche.
This article provides clear steps to effectively conduct a competitive market analysis.
What is Competitive Market Analysis?
Competitive market analysis evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of your competitors in the marketplace. This process offers insights that can guide your business strategy. Understanding your competitors' strategies, strengths, weaknesses, and market positions helps you make informed business decisions.
Steps to Conduct a Competitive Market Analysis
1. Identify Your Competitors
Start by identifying your competitors. Competitors can generally be divided into three categories:
- Direct Competitors: Businesses that offer the same products or services.
- Indirect Competitors: Businesses providing substitutes that satisfy the same need.
- Future Competitors: New businesses that may enter your market.
To find your competitors, use search engines, industry reports, and market research.
2. Gather Data on Your Competitors
Once you know who your competitors are, gather relevant information about them. Focus on these key data points:
- Products or Services: What are they offering? Do they have unique features?
- Pricing: How do their prices compare to yours?
- Market Positioning: What is their brand image? Who is their target audience?
- Marketing Strategies: Analyze their advertising channels, promotions, and customer engagement.
- Strengths and Weaknesses: Identify areas where they excel and where they struggle.
You can find this information by visiting their websites, reading customer reviews, and using tools for online analysis.
3. Analyze Their Marketing and Sales Tactics
Investigate their marketing strategies closely:
- Website and Online Presence: Review their website design, user experience, and content quality. Check their SEO practices.
- Customer Engagement: Observe how they interact with customers and what type of content they share.
- Email Marketing: Subscribe to their newsletters to see how they communicate.
- Advertising: Identify the types of ads they use and the platforms they choose.
4. SWOT Analysis
Conduct a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis to summarize your research. This helps highlight areas for improvement or innovation.
- Strengths: What advantages do your competitors possess?
- Weaknesses: Where do they fall short?
- Opportunities: Are there gaps in the market you can exploit?
- Threats: What potential challenges do competitors pose?
5. Evaluate Customer Reviews and Feedback
Customer reviews can reveal valuable insights. Check reviews on various platforms, including:
- Google Reviews
- Yelp
- Amazon Reviews
Look for recurring feedback themes. Identifying common complaints or praises can indicate what customers value or dislike.
6. Use Analytical Tools
Utilize tools tailored for competitive analysis:
- Google Analytics: Set benchmarking to compare your site’s performance.
- SEMrush: Access data on competitors’ online activities, keywords, and backlinks.
- Ahrefs: Analyze competitor backlinks, keywords, and overall SEO health.
7. Summarize and Implement Findings
After analyzing the data, summarize your insights into actionable items. Create a report detailing your competitors’ strategies, strengths, weaknesses, and areas to outperform them. Use this data to adjust your marketing tactics, improve your product offerings, or refine your pricing strategy.
Tips for Effective Competitive Analysis
- Stay Updated: Markets evolve rapidly. Regularly monitor your competitors.
- Focus on Key Competitors: Prioritize those competitors that significantly influence your market.
- Learn from Success and Failure: Analyze what has worked or failed for others to avoid similar mistakes.
- Benchmark Against Industry Standards: Keep abreast of industry norms and practices.
A thorough competitive market analysis can provide you with a significant advantage. It supports your strategy and allows for data-driven decisions that can enhance business success. Following these steps can lead to greater market insight and reveal new opportunities.