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termining how effective a website is, it is important that vital statistics be considered. Information on how much the website has been accessed, to how many times content has been read, is easily available, owing to the rampant advancements in computer technologies. Comparisons between different websites with regard to these can provide clear explanations as to how and why one is more successful than the next.
Performing competitive analysis on a website will help determine the usability of the website. A good competitive analysis will provide not only data -, but also aid decision makers in planning and target setting. All in all, if performed in the right way, this seemingly simple task can steer a web development project to the success it was intended for.
Competitive analysis is important for websites that host news, or those that are part of s firm’s marketing strategy. As such, performing competitive analysis on such websites will form a clear picture on whether the website will hold its weight and worth against those of competitors. Suddenly, this process becomes scientific and psychological, when ergonomics and cognition replace mere usability.
In conducting a competitive analysis on a website, one will be required to provide a comprehensive report, explaining in detail the level of usability and acceptability of the website. The analyst’s work is not just superficial; he or she will be required to guide the firm in obtaining the required value for their investment in the website. Ranging to baseline readings to measure success, to peeking around competitors’ websites, competitive analysis is quite an involving process.
The process however is simple. Competitive analysis on a website is fundamentally conducted by individuals who lack any knowledge on usability or information architecture. Lacking any expertise in design will ensure that they do their work as is required; form an opinion just like any unschooled website user would. They want to know what edge the competitor has, and how it can be countered, period! However, the analysts must gather data that will be vital for the making of a smart business decision.
The report should be as comprehensive as possible, guiding the firm to making an informed business decision affecting the rollout to implementation of the website. Recommendations should be simple to implement, such as adding search functionality, and adding a more involving look and feel aspect to the website. These could go a long way in adding the kick to the number of clicks per second the website achieves. Moreover, a decision on the alteration of a website may also involve a shift in messaging methods and content, having far reaching effects, into even the budgeting department.
Ranging from determining the competitors, to determining the advantages they have over the client’s business with regard to how to counter these advantages may sound trivial if looked at from the website perspective. However, with the increasing pace of click rather than brick business environments, analysis of competition on a new realm will fast become an important means of maintaining business success.
