Whether you’re just getting started or you’re a seasoned veteran, competitive analysis and market research are essential to growing your business. They can prevent wasted resources, inspire new opportunities and help you stay one step ahead of the competition.
To conduct a competitor analysis, begin by creating a spreadsheet with rows for each of your competitors. Then, assign each row a category of data points or findings you’d like to learn about your competitors.
Analyze Your Competitors
Competitive analysis and market research is an important part of any business. It helps you to identify your strengths and weaknesses and improve your company.
It also gives you an idea of what industry trends are worth following and how to position your products in the market. It’s an important part of developing a marketing strategy, as well as keeping your business competitive and profitable.
You can analyze your competitors by looking at their websites, social media presence, advertising and product offerings. You can do this by using a variety of tools, such as Google Analytics and SEMrush.
If you’re a startup, this process is especially important, as it will give you the opportunity to find your niche in the market. It will also help you to identify potential competitors that might be interested in your business.
Identify Your Strengths and Weaknesses
If you’re trying to grow your business, you need to know your strengths and weaknesses. This can help you position yourself in the market and communicate your brand message more clearly. It can also help you identify opportunities for growth and where you might fall short of your customers’ expectations.
Ideally, conduct your competitive analysis on a regular basis, as you would inventory and other business functions. This way, you’ll keep an eye on your competition and make necessary adjustments to stay ahead of the game.
To organize your research, use a competitor matrix, which is a table or spreadsheet that divides competitors into groups. Then, on one axis, list data points or categories you want to find out about each competitor. For example, you might focus on the product they offer. On the other axis, you could list their marketing strategy. This makes it easier to compare your findings across competitors and spot larger trends.
Identify Opportunities
Market research can help you identify opportunities to improve your business. It can also help you understand how to best compete with your competition.
Identifying your competitors is one of the first steps in competitive analysis. You can do this by looking at their social media pages and customer reviews to determine what they’re doing right, as well as their weaknesses.
Then, you can begin analyzing their products and services to see how they’re different from yours. You can also look for potential substitutes that satisfy a similar consumer need.
There are several ways to do this, including surveys and interviews. The type of market research you use will depend on your goals and budget.
Develop a Strategy
One of the most important parts of running a business is knowing who your competitors are and what they offer. Without competitive analysis, you can’t know what makes your company special or what to do to stand out from the crowd.
A well-done competitive analysis can show you how to improve your products and services, target your customers more effectively and increase profitability. You can use an analysis tool such as Porter’s Five Forces to better understand your competition and develop a marketing strategy that will give your business the edge it needs to grow.
A well-planned strategy will keep you on track as your market grows and changes. Schedule a regular competitive analysis, perhaps on a quarterly basis.