Assisting a medical center, we revised their content to include entire queries that people would naturally speak, such as "Where can I find a dermatologist in Riyadh?" This approach enhanced their voice search visibility by seventy-three percent.
I advise classifying competitors as:
- Direct competitors (offering nearly identical products/services)
- Indirect competitors (with partial overlap)
- New threats (new entrants with game-changing capabilities)
A friend who runs a café in Riyadh initially hesitated at the extra 12,000 SAR for an booking system, but later told me it became profitable within a quarter by decreasing staff time spent on phone reservations.
I spend at least two hours each week reviewing our competitors':
- Website structure and navigation
- Content strategy and posting schedule
- Digital channels engagement
- Customer reviews and ratings
- Search strategy and positions
When I established my retail business three years ago, I was convinced that our special products would be enough. I ignored market research as superfluous – a choice that practically ruined my entire business.
I presently utilize several tools that have substantially enhanced our competitor analysis:
- Top SEO Firms Comparison tools to analyze rivals' search rankings
- Social listening platforms to monitor rivals' social activity
- Website analysis solutions to monitor changes to their websites
- Email capture to receive their marketing communications
A few months ago, a store group allocated over 200,000 SAR in conventional advertising with disappointing results. After shifting just 30% of that investment to smartphone advertising, they saw a dramatic improvement in store visits.
Not long ago, I watched as three similar businesses invested heavily into growing their business on a particular social media platform. Their attempts failed spectacularly as the platform appeared to be a mismatch for our industry.
The most successful Saudi brands understand that users don't separate in terms of platforms. My investment client experienced a substantial improvement in prospects after we integrated their once disjointed platforms.
I recall the surprise on my brother-in-law's face when he was handed a quote for 75K SAR for his company website. "It's just a webpage!" he protested. Shortly after, he eventually with a inexpensive 3,000 SAR site that appeared unprofessional and couldn't convert a single lead.
I use a straightforward spreadsheet to monitor our competition's rates modifications every week. This has allowed us to:
- Identify seasonal promotion cycles
- Recognize special offer strategies
- Comprehend their cost structure
For a merchant, we identified that their voice search visibility was restricted because they had optimized mostly for English voice searches. After incorporating customized local spoken question improvement, their visibility improved by two hundred seventeen percent.
A few weeks ago, a hotel owner found that their online presence was virtually invisible from spoken searches. After implementing the techniques I'm about to reveal, they're now appearing in nearly half of appropriate voice searches.
Instead of focusing exclusively on securing the most affordable quote, evaluate the potential return that a superior website will produce for your business. A well-designed site is an asset that will continue paying dividends for years to come.
Start by identifying ALL your competition – not just the obvious ones. In our investigation, we found that our largest threat wasn't the famous brand we were watching, but a emerging startup with an unique model.
Last month, my colleague Sara got quotes ranging from 22,000 to 58,000 SAR for virtually the same corporate website. The disparity? The pricier quotes included unique design elements rather than template-based approaches.
At a business gathering in Riyadh, I asked 17 entrepreneurs about their website development experiences. The cost variation was surprising – from 2,500 SAR for a minimalist site to over 150,000 SAR for advanced e-commerce platforms.
My cousin Mohammed initially chose the least expensive proposal for his business website, only to realize later that it excluded content creation – adding an additional 8,000 SAR charge for professional content creation.
I explored a web design studio in Jeddah last month where they displayed me the difference between their themed and bespoke projects. The visual impact was immediately visible – the bespoke sites felt clearly more polished and impactful.