Conducting a competitor UX analysis
Traditional competitor analysis in marketing terms focuses on aligning the marketing strategy with the business vision by defining the scope and nature of the industry, who are the direct and indirect competitors, and what are the key components to compare with these competitors. Comparisons can include location (where the retail stores are based), price, quality of product or service, and convenience, to just name a few. A competitive UX analysis differs from the traditional competitor analysis in the sense that the focus is not just on internal and external sources, but rather on how the competitors compare in overall user experience and usability standards.
It's more than just comparing websites and weighing up the design effectiveness and differentiation, but rather evaluating the way the site is used and if the user enjoys interacting with it. Don't forget that a website has deeper user interactions that also need to be evaluated, such as the feedback loop from filling in an online form, subscribing to newsletters, chat bots, and so on. All these interactive components contribute to the overall experience and usability of the website. An easy trap to fall into when doing a competitor analysis is copying the competition's website, functionality, or strategy. Imitation seems harmless, but it's important to always stay true to offering a unique experience. What works for another brand's website might not be the best solution for your website.
A typical competitor UX analysis is between 2-4 competitors; the more you add into the equation the more complicated the process, which can skew results. Competitors can be divided into two categories:
- Direct competitors: Who have the same product, service, or users
- Indirect competitors: Who have similar products and services, but different users
The criteria for a competitor UX analysis is dependent on the brand and outcomes needed, sometimes a high level analysis is sufficient and other times an in-depth analysis that focuses on the smallest interaction of a specific component is needed.
Either way the following list of criteria is a basic list that should be used as a foundation for any competitor UX analysis:
- Content: The content on the website needs to be useful and structured in such a way that the user can easily find what they're looking for. For example, the way pages are structured within the site, the way the menus are laid out for navigation, and the naming of headings and labels for links and form elements.
- Creative: The aesthetic look of the website needs to be in line with the brand identity and at the same time be innovative and trendy.
- Heuristic principles: The 10 heuristic principles for UI design from the Norman and Nielsen Group include crucial usability points to be incorporated in the analysis such as consistency, visible system notifications, error prevention, and the freedom for the user to be in control. The full list of 10 principles will be discussed in greater detail later in the book and can be found on the Norman and Nielsen Group's website: https://www.nngroup.com/articles/ten-usability-heuristics/
- Micro-interactions: Micro-interactions do not refer to tacky animations with no real purpose, but rather the way the website responds when the user interacts with it. For example, does the navigation slide out smoothly? Or does it just appear?
- Customer service: When filling in a "request a quote" form, how quickly does a customer service agent respond? Sometimes websites have a chat component in the bottom right of the website screen. When using this service, how helpful is the person on the other side?
One of the factors that can skew results of the competitor UX analysis is if the person conducting the analysis has limited insights into the competitive market or the brand. Having more than one person doing the evaluation will ensure that there's different perspectives and no biased insights. Another factor to keep in mind is that the industry is constantly evolving. Brands are constantly revising their products and services, coming up with new ways on how to promote them, launching new campaigns, and so on. Thus a competitor UX analysis needs to be done on a regular basis to stay relevant.