SALES STRATEGY
How to analyse your competitors' websites and what to do with what you find
Before hiring you, your client opens your website and two or three of your competitors'. Looking at what they see is one of the cheapest ways to improve yours. You don't need to pay for spying tools: you need to know what to look at and what to do with what you find.
IN SHORT
Search the way a client would and keep the three or four competitors that come up. On their websites, look at how they explain what they do, which services they push, whether they mention price, what proof they give and how easy it is to get in touch. Then don't copy: find what nobody explains well and do it yourself.
What looking at competitors is for (and what it isn't)
Your client doesn't see your website on its own. They compare it, even if only for two minutes on a phone, with others doing the same thing. If they all say "quality, experience and a personal service", the client will decide on price or on whichever inspires more trust.
Analysing your competitors lets you see that comparison through their eyes: what repeats, what's missing and where you can stand out. It isn't for copying text or designs, or for obsessing over every change they make.
Who your real competition is
It isn't the big national company on television. It's whoever appears when your client searches for what you offer:
- Search like a client, in a private window: your service and your area ("physiotherapist in Inca", "accountant for freelancers in Palma"). Note the websites that come up and the map listings.
- Ask your clients who else they contacted before choosing you. It's the most reliable list you'll get.
- Include alternatives that aren't like you: an online service, a platform or "I'll do it myself". They compete for the same client too.
Three or four competitors are enough. More than that turns into a job nobody finishes.
What to look at on your competitors' websites
- The message on the first screen. Can you tell in five seconds what they do, for whom and where? Or is it a generic slogan with a stock photo?
- Their services. Which services they highlight, how they group them and whether each one has its own page. What they put first is usually what they most want to sell.
- Price. Whether they publish rates, "from" prices or nothing. If someone explains how they work out a quote, they're winning the client's trust.
- Proof. Reviews, real cases, their own photos, years of experience, certifications, client names. Notice which are specific and which are generic.
- Contact. How many steps it takes to book or ask for a quote: form, phone, WhatsApp, online booking. And whether they say when they'll reply.
- What they don't say. Timescales, what the service includes, what happens after getting in touch, who they don't work with. Those gaps are your opportunity.
Look at the websites on a phone too, since that's how most of your clients see them.
How to compare without getting lost
A simple spreadsheet is enough. Add one row per competitor, yours included, and these columns:
- What the first screen says, copied word for word.
- Services they highlight.
- Whether and how they mention price.
- Proof they give (reviews, cases, photos).
- Contact options and steps to get in touch.
- Google rating and number of reviews.
- What they do better than you.
- What nobody explains.
HYPOTHETICAL EXAMPLE
A physiotherapy clinic compares the four websites in its area. All four talk about "personalised treatments" and none says how long a session lasts, what happens at the first visit or what it costs. That's its difference: a page that answers those questions clearly.
The last column is usually the most useful.
What your competitors do on Google
- Which searches they appear for. Run your clients' searches and note who comes up top. SEO tools (Semrush, Ahrefs, Ubersuggest…) show the keywords a website ranks for; their free versions are limited, but usually enough for a quick look.
- Their Google Business Profile. Number of reviews, rating, whether they reply, photos and categories. In local searches it matters as much as the website.
- Their ads. Google's Ads Transparency Center and the Meta Ad Library show any advertiser's active ads for free: what they offer and with which message.
- Who talks about them. Search their name in quotation marks. You'll see which directories, associations or media mention them; many of those are within your reach too.
- How their website has changed. At web.archive.org you can see old versions of almost any website. If someone has changed their message or prices several times, it tells you what they've tried.
If you don't appear in those searches yourself, first check why your website isn't showing on Google
What to do with what you find
- Don't copy whoever is first. If you do the same as them, the client will compare you on price. Copying makes you interchangeable.
- Fill the gaps. If nobody explains the process, the timescales or how the price is worked out, explain it yourself. It's the biggest difference for the least effort.
- Pin down your difference. Specialism, area, way of working, written guarantees. To put it into words, read how to write your value proposition
- Improve your proof. If the others have a hundred reviews and you have ten, you know what to work on this quarter.
- Cut the steps to get in touch. If your competitor lets people book in a minute and you ask for a ten-field form, you're losing enquiries.
And if clients always compare you on price, there are ideas in how to stop competing on price
Common mistakes
- Comparing yourself with someone who doesn't compete with you. A big chain plays with a different budget and a different client.
- Looking only at the design. A pretty website with a confusing message isn't winning clients from you. Look at what it says, not just how it looks.
- Turning it into an obsession. A review once a year, or when you're about to rebuild your website, is enough for most businesses.
- Paying for tools you won't use. For a local business, the most useful information comes from searching like your clients and reading carefully.
Common questions
Is it legal to analyse a competitor's website?
Yes. Looking at what someone publishes openly, their ads or their reviews is perfectly legal. What you can't do is copy their text, images or design, which are protected by copyright.
Can I see my competitors' keywords for free?
Partly. The free versions of Semrush, Ahrefs or Ubersuggest show some of the keywords a website ranks for. For a local business it's usually enough to run your clients' searches yourself and see who appears.
How can I see which links my competitors get?
The same tools show some of the links pointing to a website. A simple free way is to search their name in quotation marks and see which websites mention them.
How often should I review my competitors?
Once a year, or before rebuilding your website or launching a new service. More often rarely changes your decisions.
What if my competitor has a much better website?
Use it as a reference for what your client expects, not as something to imitate. A simpler website that explains what you do better is often more convincing.
Would you like a second opinion?
In a website audit I review your website and compare it with your direct competitors': message, services, proof, contact and presence on Google. You get a list of changes in order of importance. It costs €295 + VAT.
See the website audit