Keep Your Website In The Game With A Competitive Assessment

To be a real player in the game of online marketing, you need to at least do what your competitors are doing, and preferably more. As I always say, “The competition doesn’t set the bar. The competition sets the floor.”

This means you can’t just launch your website and forget about it. Look at Yahoo! This is a company that didn’t keep up with the evolution of Google fast enough. They fell behind, and now they’re hurting. They should have done a competitive assessment.

When conducting an assessment of your competitors’ websites, you should review the quality and quantity of their content, navigation, tools and imagery. Are they using HTML5 while you’re still using Flash? Do they invite consumers to opt-in for a weekly e-newsletter? You may also consider reviewing the websites outside of your immediate competition set. For example, what can you learn from coca-cola.com about engaging the consumer?

Remember, one of the most important factors in conducting a competitive assessment is objectivity. If you’re uncomfortable being impartial, you may consider bringing in an outside agency. Or ask your brother-in-law. Just make sure you put this tool to use at least once a year.