- March 6, 2025
- Posted by: Featured
- Categories: "Competitive research", "Expert Roundups"
16 Questions to Ask Yourself When Analyzing Competitors
Navigating the competitive landscape requires more than a cursory glance at other players in the field. This article distills expert insights into actionable strategies for analyzing competitors effectively. Uncover the critical questions to ask that will reveal not just what competitors are doing, but why they are succeeding or failing.
- Identify Competitors’ Unaddressed Problems
- Analyze Competitors’ Strategic Priorities
- Understand Emotional Responses
- Discover Competitors’ Strongest Hooks
- Evaluate Competitors’ Storytelling Techniques
- Pinpoint Real Conversion Points
- Assess Competitors’ Implementation Timing
- Address Client Pain Points Clearly
- Identify Competitors’ Unique Value Proposition
- Capture and Convert Audience Effectively
- Understand Competitors’ Brand Story
- Evaluate Competitors’ Headlines
- Identify Where Competitors Lose Attention
- Analyze Competitors’ Successes and Failures
- Identify Competitors’ Story Gaps
- Relay Brand Message Efficiently
Identify Competitors’ Unaddressed Problems
When I analyze a competitor’s website or marketing materials, I always ask myself: “What problem are they promising to solve that we aren’t addressing yet?”
This question cuts right to what our customers care about most. Sure, we make photo editing tools, but we’re fixing creative problems. People don’t buy our software because it’s software; they buy it because they want gorgeous photos without the headache.
Looking at what problems competitors say they solve helps me spot blind spots in our approach. Sometimes I’ll see a competitor talking about a pain point we overlooked, but their customers are eating it up.
For this one time, I noticed a competitor was pushing how much time photographers save with their batch editing. We had the same feature but weren’t making a big deal about it. Their message was clicking with users so well that we shifted our marketing, and boom! User engagement shot up right away.
This question keeps me grounded in what real users need instead of chasing shiny features that look cool in demos but don’t help anyone.
Evgen Tymoshenko
Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) at Skylum, Skylum
Analyze Competitors’ Strategic Priorities
The question I always ask is: “What strategic priorities are they signaling through their content and UX choices?” This shifts the focus from surface-level features to uncovering their long-term goals. For instance, if a competitor’s website suddenly highlights SOC2 compliance certifications or adds GDPR-focused case studies, it suggests a deliberate push to attract enterprise clients in regulated industries—a clue we might counter by emphasizing our own localized data sovereignty solutions or audit-ready frameworks.
Analyzing a competitor’s evolution over the past two years adds critical context. Recently, I noticed a rival firm quietly shifted from touting “quick deployment” to emphasizing “scalable security architecture” in their blog and client portfolios. Reviewing their growth trajectory, it became clear they were struggling with churn from clients needing post-launch compliance support. This insight led us to launch a campaign positioning our team as partners for end-to-end security governance, including automated SOC2 audit prep and GDPR breach monitoring.
The result? A 25% increase in enterprise leads within six months. By pairing competitor content analysis with longitudinal growth patterns, we decode their operational strengths and vulnerabilities. It’s not about mimicry—it’s about identifying what they’ve overlooked (e.g., accessibility in GDPR workflows) and filling those gaps with sharper, client-centric messaging. This approach turns competitors’ public moves into a roadmap for differentiation.
Ashwin Thapliyal
Head of Marketing, Exemplifi
Understand Emotional Responses
Whenever I analyze a competitor’s website or marketing materials, I always ask myself, What emotional response are they trying to evoke in their audience? This question helps me go beyond surface-level tactics and dive into the psychology behind their strategy. It’s not just about what they’re offering but how they’re positioning it to resonate with their ideal customers.
I remember analyzing a competitor in the tech industry whose messaging felt sleek and aspirational. Their website design, tone, and visuals were clearly crafted to instill a sense of exclusivity. This made me realize that they were targeting professionals who wanted to feel like they were part of something cutting-edge.
By identifying this emotional angle, I could assess which parts of their messaging were successful and brainstorm how to differentiate my own approach to connect with a similar audience in a more authentic way. This question has consistently helped me uncover why certain campaigns succeed. It also prompts me to consider whether my strategies evoke the right emotions to engage and inspire my target audience.
Erin Siemek
CEO, Forge Digital Marketing, LLC
Discover Competitors’ Strongest Hooks
I always ask: “What is their strongest hook, and how are they pulling in their audience?” Every competitor has something that’s working well—whether it’s their messaging, content strategy, SEO rankings, or conversion tactics. Understanding how they’re capturing attention and keeping visitors engaged gives me valuable insight into what’s resonating with the target market.
First, I look at their homepage and key landing pages. Are they leading with pain points, social proof, or a bold value proposition? If they’re using compelling headlines and clear benefits, I analyze how they structure their messaging and whether it aligns with search intent. If their CTA placement is strategic and drives action, that tells me what their audience responds to.
Next, I check their blog and content strategy. Are they ranking for high-intent keywords? Are they creating in-depth, useful content that positions them as an authority? If they’re dominating organic search, I dig into their keyword focus, backlink profile, and content structure to see what’s driving results. If they’re lacking in certain areas—like failing to optimize for long-tail searches or ignoring certain customer pain points—that’s an opportunity to do better.
Finally, I analyze their engagement tactics. Are they leveraging video, case studies, or customer testimonials effectively? Do they have strong email or remarketing strategies? If they’re getting traction on social media or LinkedIn, I examine what’s driving discussions and how they’re nurturing leads. Sometimes, competitors invest heavily in one channel while ignoring others, leaving a wide-open opportunity to capture their audience elsewhere.
By understanding what’s working for them-and where they’re leaving gaps—I can refine my own strategy to compete more effectively. The goal isn’t to copy, but to take what works, improve on it, and create a stronger, more compelling marketing approach.
Will Wright
Lead SEO Strategist, Direct Online Marketing
Evaluate Competitors’ Storytelling Techniques
When analyzing a competitor’s website or marketing materials, I always ask, “How are they utilizing storytelling to engage their audience?” As someone with a background in English and over two decades in copywriting, I know storytelling is a powerful tool in making content resonate with people. For example, our focus on promoting longevity through supplements is improved by sharing relatable stories about overcoming health challenges, which connects emotionally with potential customers.
The question helps me understand how competitors are positioning their narrative to establish trust and build brand loyalty. I reflect on the content strategy we’ve employed, where scientific backing and compliance precision are crucial, but it’s the compelling narratives that truly captivate and retain our audience. By analyzing competitors’ storytelling techniques, I gain insights into how they highlight their unique selling propositions and weave them into a cohesive brand message.
In practice, this means examining things like customer testimonials and case studies that competitors use to add authenticity and relatability to their brand. Seeing how others effectively—or ineffectively—leverage their brand story helps refine our approach, ensuring our messaging remains clear and engaging, aligning with the core values and needs of our target market.
Michelle M. Henson
Head of Copywriting, Legal Compliance Editor, Juvenon
Pinpoint Real Conversion Points
“Where is the real conversion happening?”
A competitor’s website might look sleek, their ads might be well-crafted, but the real question is: Where in their funnel does the actual persuasion happen? It’s rarely on the homepage. Sometimes, it’s deep in a product demo, a hidden FAQ, or even in the checkout process.
This question forces me to dig beyond surface-level analysis. If their ads drive traffic to a blog post instead of a sales page, that tells me they’re winning through education. If their landing page is basic but their email sequences are loaded with social proof, they’re converting after capturing leads. If they have a high-priced product but push free trials aggressively, they’re relying on product experience over direct selling.
Understanding where a competitor is actually turning interest into sales helps me fine-tune my own strategy. Instead of copying their flashy homepage, I focus on optimizing the real decision-making moment—wherever that may be.
Austin Benton
Marketing Consultant, Gotham Artists
Assess Competitors’ Implementation Timing
One of the crucial questions I always ask about when analyzing a competitor’s website or marketing materials is: “When did they begin implementing this, and how does that align with our timeline?” Timing has a massive impact on strategy.
The success of a competitor’s specific campaign, product launch, or SEO effort is NOT just about the company executing better—it’s about TIMING and HOW LONG it took them to gain traction. Tracking when a competitor ranked highly on Google or generated legitimate brand awareness is important if we notice those efforts. That is one way to not expect overnight results from their achievements and set realistic markers instead.
Take one example: we once noticed a competitor making a pretty aggressive push into thought leadership content—publishing long-form articles, getting booked onto industry podcasts, starting a newsletter. It seemed as if their power skyrocketed within a few months.
But upon closer inspection, we determined they had been preparing for more than a year. They’d seen a huge increase in their organic traffic in that time, and their LinkedIn engagement had almost doubled. Had we leaped in expecting to achieve the same results in a fraction of the time, we would have been setting ourselves up for disappointment. Instead, we took their timeline as a guide, created a phased approach, and focused on quick wins while building long-term credibility.
Aaron Whittaker
VP of Demand Generation & Marketing, Thrive Digital Marketing Agency
Address Client Pain Points Clearly
When analyzing a competitor’s website or marketing materials, one question I always ask is, “How clearly are they addressing their client’s pain points and positioning their services as a solution?” This helps me understand if their messaging connects well with their audience’s needs. For example, we ensure our content, such as wedding transportation guides, addresses specific stressors like logistical coordination or budget constraints, showcasing our transparent pricing and availability in advance.
Another critical aspect I consider is, “How effectively are they engaging their audience through interactive features or calls to action?” Analyzing competitors’ websites with booking forms or interactive fleet views often sparks ideas for enhancing user engagement on our platforms. Our online booking system and virtual fleet tours encourage clients to interact with our services effortlessly, leading to higher conversion rates.
I’ve noticed that when competitors use personalization in their email newsletters or social media, it indicates a trend toward more custom communication. We’ve applied this by segmenting our own email campaigns based on customer preferences, ensuring that our outreach resonates better and increases customer retention. By walking through the user journey on competitors’ sites, I’ve learned to refine ours to optimize user experience and satisfaction.
Allison Andrews
Director of Sales & Marketing, Limitless Limo
Identify Competitors’ Unique Value Proposition
Question: “What is their unique value proposition (UVP), and how effectively do they communicate it?”
A competitor’s Unique Value Proposition (UVP) is the core message that differentiates them from others in the market. By identifying what they claim to do better than anyone else, I can determine:
Clarity & Effectiveness
- Is their UVP instantly clear within the first few seconds on their website or marketing materials?
- Do they use concise, compelling messaging, or is it vague and generic?
Positioning in the Market
- Are they positioning themselves as premium, affordable, innovative, customer-centric, or specialized?
- How does this compare to my client’s brand positioning?
Emotional & Rational Appeal
- Are they tapping into customer pain points and desires effectively?
- Do they use proof points like case studies, testimonials, or statistics to back up their claims?
Consistency Across Touch Points
- Is their UVP reinforced consistently across their website, social media, ads, and email marketing?
- Are they aligning their design, tone of voice, and calls to action with this positioning?
How This Helps Me Gain an Edge:
- If a competitor’s UVP is weak or unclear, it’s an opportunity to position my client’s brand more effectively.
- If their UVP is strong, I analyze what makes it resonate and look for gaps in their messaging that I can leverage.
- It helps me identify untapped opportunities where my brand can stand out—-whether through better storytelling, stronger differentiation, or more engaging content.
By always asking this question, I can reverse-engineer what’s working (or not) in a competitor’s marketing strategy and refine my approach for a client to gain a competitive advantage.
Yvette Adams
Founder/Partner, The Creative Collective
Capture and Convert Audience Effectively
One question I always ask when analyzing a competitor’s website or marketing materials is, “What are they doing to capture and convert their audience that I’m not?” This helps me identify gaps in my own strategy, whether it is a stronger call to action, a more engaging content funnel, or a unique positioning angle. By studying their approach and looking at their lead magnets, email sequences, video strategies, and social proof, I can pinpoint what is working for them and determine how to adapt or improve it for my own business. This keeps my marketing sharp and ensures I stay competitive in the space.
Joanna Stone
Founder, CEO, Artificial Creators
Understand Competitors’ Brand Story
When analyzing a competitor’s website or marketing materials, the one question I always ask myself is: “What’s their story?” It may sound philosophical, but it’s crucial to understand the emotional and strategic narrative behind their brand.
I learned this while working with a client in a competitive niche. We analyzed several top brands and, despite their polished websites and effective calls to action, something was missing. They were ticking all the boxes, but they weren’t connecting with their audience on a deeper level.
Focusing on their story revealed that the most successful brands weren’t necessarily the ones with the flashiest websites, but the ones telling a compelling narrative. They weren’t just selling a product, they were building a relationship through their messaging.
This shifted my approach to competitor analysis. I started to ask: How does their story compare to mine? Are we offering something that resonates emotionally with our audience, or are we just another product on a shelf? By refining our own messaging based on this insight, we not only improved our SEO but also established stronger connections with potential clients.
Asking, “What’s their story?” helps me look beyond surface-level tactics and understand the emotional triggers behind customer decisions. It’s a simple but powerful question that uncovers insights you might miss otherwise.
Martynas Siuraitis
SEO Consultant, The SEO Consultant Agency
Evaluate Competitors’ Headlines
“Is their headline clear about what they offer, and is it specific to their target customer profile?”
This question helps me quickly assess whether a competitor has a strong, customer-focused positioning. A great headline should immediately communicate what they do, who they serve, and why it matters. In B2B, I also look for specificity—do they highlight the industries they specialize in? Do they speak directly to a particular audience, or are they trying to appeal to everyone?
Why This Matters:
- A vague or generic headline often signals weak positioning, making it harder for potential customers to connect with their offering.
- If they clearly define their ICP (Ideal Customer Profile) and industry expertise, it tells me they’ve done their homework—and it also shows where we might need to refine our own messaging to stand out.
- Understanding their focus helps uncover potential market gaps we can capitalize on.
By starting with this simple yet powerful question, I can quickly gauge how effectively a competitor is attracting and converting their ideal customers.
Craig Oldham
Founder Fractional CMO, Mahdlo Executive Advisors
Identify Where Competitors Lose Attention
I always pay attention to where a competitor is losing their audience’s attention. A great product will not sell if people are not engaged long enough to care. I look at things like how long it takes for their homepage to get to the point, whether their social media posts spark real conversations, and whether their email subject lines are compelling enough to open. Even the best offers will not convert if they are buried under boring or confusing messaging.
This helps me create marketing that keeps people hooked. If I see competitors using generic, forgettable copy, I make my messaging punchier. If they overwhelm visitors with too many choices, I focus on making my offers clearer. The brands that hold attention the longest usually win. Identifying where others are losing it helps me avoid the same pitfalls.
Linzi Oliver
Commercial Marketing Manager, HorseClicks
Analyze Competitors’ Successes and Failures
One question we always ask when analyzing a competitor’s website or marketing materials is: “What are they doing that’s working well, what isn’t, and how can we do it better?”
We use this approach successfully for both ourselves and our clients to break down what’s driving engagement, conversions, or strong search rankings. We look at their messaging, content strategy, SEO tactics, and user experience to identify strengths we can build on and weaknesses we can avoid. If they’re ranking highly for certain keywords, we assess why and look for ways to create more valuable, better-optimized content. If their calls to action or landing pages convert well, we refine our approach to improve results.
Equally, we pay close attention to what isn’t working—whether that’s poor user experience, weak content, or gaps in their strategy. This helps us learn from their mistakes, avoid wasted effort, and find opportunities where we can outperform them. By analyzing both their successes and failures, we help our clients not just keep up with competitors, but consistently stay ahead.
Adam Barraud
Account Manager, Growthlabs
Identify Competitors’ Story Gaps
Whenever I analyze a competitor’s website or marketing materials, the question I always ask myself is, “What story are they telling, and what are they leaving out?” This helps me understand not just how they want to be perceived, but also where the gaps are in their messaging and positioning. Every brand makes choices about what they highlight, whether it’s pricing, quality, innovation, trust, or something else entirely. But just as important are the things they don’t emphasize.
If a competitor is pushing affordability, are they skimping over quality? If they’re focused on cutting-edge features, are they neglecting ease of use? These omissions can reveal weaknesses or opportunities that help refine a stronger, more compelling strategy. By looking at both what’s being said and what’s being left unsaid, I can gain deeper insights into how a competitor sees itself, how it wants to be perceived, and most importantly, how I can position my brand to stand out in a way that truly connects with the right audience.
Eleanor B
CEO, Competitive Insight
Relay Brand Message Efficiently
Is the brand message quickly and efficiently relayed? Consumers have an increasingly short attention span. If you want to crush the competition, you have to know what your competitors are up to—and you have to do better. Seeing how competitors relay their brand story and engage customers provides invaluable insight. Our goal is to take in the good and the bad, then create the best.
Derek Colvin
CEO and Co-Founder, ZORS