# Questions for Competitor Analysis: Checklist and Criteria

- URL: https://vladimirnovozhilov.com/en/blog/voprosy-dlya-analiza-konkurentov/
- Author: Владимир Новожилов
- Published: 2026-08-01
- Category: Market research

> Competitor analysis starts not with tools, but with the right questions. This article compiles a structured list of questions on product, pricing, marketing, website, and customer experience, along with question-to-insight-to-source tables, a SWOT template, and methods (Porter, benchmarking, PEST) — all pulled together into a checklist you can apply yourself.

A good competitor analysis doesn't start with tools and scrapers — it starts with asking the right questions. Tools will give you numbers, but without a clear list of questions you'll end up with a mountain of data you can't draw conclusions from. Below is a practical set of competitor analysis questions covering all the key categories, organized into tables and a checklist so you can run the research yourself and turn the answers into decisions.

## What competitor analysis is and why specific questions matter

[Competitor analysis](/blog/analiz-konkurentov-metody-etapy/) is the systematic collection and evaluation of information about companies competing with you for the same customer, so you can make informed decisions about product, pricing, marketing, and positioning. Specific questions turn this process from "let's see what's on their site" into a manageable investigation with verifiable answers.

Why a list of questions matters more than a general overview:

- **Comparability.** If you ask every competitor the same set of questions, you can compile the answers into a table and compare them fairly.
- **Completeness.** A checklist of questions keeps you from forgetting important areas — like customer experience or pricing logic.
- **Speed.** Predefined competitor analysis criteria save hours: you know what you're looking for and don't drown in information.
- **Action.** A good question ends in a decision. Not "what's their price" but "why can they keep their price lower than ours, and what does that mean for us."

Next, we'll cover who to include in the analysis and go through every category of questions: product, price, marketing, website and SEO, customer experience. At the end you'll find summary tables, a SWOT template, a comparison of methods, a worked example, and a checklist.

## Who to include in the analysis: direct, indirect, and potential competitors

Before asking questions, figure out who to ask them about. A common beginner mistake is analyzing only the obvious rivals and missing the ones who pull customers away through a different route.

- **Direct competitors** — offer the same product to the same audience. Example: two web development studios in the same city with similar pricing.
- **Indirect competitors** — meet the same need in a different way. For that same studio, that means website builders or freelancers.
- **Potential competitors** — companies that could enter your market: adjacent businesses, large players from a neighboring niche.

The first block of questions is about the competitor set itself:

1. Who do customers mention when comparing offers before purchase?
2. Who ranks at the top of search and ads for our key queries?
3. Who solves the same customer problem in an alternative way?
4. Who from adjacent markets might enter ours within the next year?
5. Who is growing faster than the market, and why?

![Optimal sample size of competitors for in-depth analysis](./images/voprosy-dlya-analiza-konkurentov-depth.png)

The optimal sample is 5–7 companies. Fewer than three gives an incomplete picture; more than ten dilutes the data, and the analysis never gets finished. It makes sense to qualify competitors using logic similar to the BANT model (budget, authority, need, timeline), adapted to the market: how seriously a player is actually competing for your money and your customers.

## Questions for analyzing competitors' products and range

The product is the foundation. This is where you understand exactly what the customer is buying and where your offer can differ.

**What to analyze in a competitor's product:**

- What's included in the product or service — composition, scope of work, deliverables?
- What versions, packages, product lines, or add-on options exist?
- What's the stated value proposition, and does it hold up in practice?
- Which customer problems does the product solve, and which does it ignore?
- What's the quality level: guarantees, timelines, standards, certifications?
- How quickly does the product get updated — what's shipped in the last year?
- Which features or services are missing — where are the gaps in the lineup?

The key question in this section is: **what does the competitor do better than us, and what do we do better than them?** The answer is raw material for differentiation and positioning.

![How attention is typically distributed across question categories in analysis](./images/voprosy-dlya-analiza-konkurentov-categories.png)

## Questions about pricing and pricing policy

Analyzing competitor pricing isn't just "how much does it cost" — it's about understanding the logic behind the price. Often the pricing structure itself explains why some companies retain customers while others lose them.

**Questions for price analysis:**

- What's the base price, and how is it presented — openly, on request, "starting from"?
- How is the pricing tier structured: what costs extra, what's included in the base?
- Are there discounts, promotions, loyalty programs, installment plans?
- How does the price relate to value — premium, mid-market, budget?
- How often, and in which direction, do prices change?
- What allows the competitor to keep prices lower (or higher) than ours?
- Are there hidden fees, and how does the customer find out about them?

The answers help shape your pricing strategy and reveal room to maneuver: for example, if competitors hide their pricing, you could build a transparent calculator and win on trust.

## Questions for analyzing marketing and positioning

Here you break down how a competitor attracts customers and what it promises. This block covers channels, messaging, and brand positioning.

**Questions for competitive marketing analysis:**

- How does the competitor position itself — what's the core promise?
- Which audience does it target, and what language does it use with them?
- Which channels does it use: paid search, SEO, social media, email, partnerships, offline?
- Which offers and promotions does it run most often?
- What content does it produce, how often, and what resonates with the audience?
- How strong is the brand: recognition, tone, visual identity?
- Which triggers and objections does it address in its messaging?

To visualize differences in positioning, it's useful to build a competitive market map (a brand perception map): two axes represent parameters that matter to the customer (e.g., price and service level), and competitors are plotted on the field. Empty zones on the map are potential niches.

## Questions for analyzing a competitor's website, SEO, and traffic

This block is often overlooked, and that's a mistake: a website is both a storefront and a funnel. Analyzing a competitor's website and SEO reveals where customers come from and where they drop off.

**Questions for website and SEO analysis:**

- Which queries drive organic traffic to the competitor, and to which pages?
- What's the site structure, and what's the path from landing to lead submission?
- What offers, headlines, and calls to action appear on landing pages?
- How is lead capture set up: forms, chats, lead magnets, quizzes?
- Is there a blog or knowledge base, and how often is content published?
- What's the load speed, and how good is the mobile experience?
- What trust signals are used: case studies, reviews, numbers, certifications?
- Where does the traffic come from — organic, ads, social media, referrals?

SEO analysis of competitors is especially useful for planning: a list of their top pages and queries is essentially a ready-made demand map you can use to build your own content strategy.

## Questions for analyzing customer experience and reviews

Customer experience (CX) covers everything that happens to a buyer at every stage. Competitor reviews are a free source of insight — customers tell you directly what's broken.

**Questions about competitors' customer experience:**

- What do customers most often praise or criticize in reviews?
- How quickly does support respond, and through which channels?
- How simple is the purchase path: how many steps, where's the friction?
- How does the competitor handle negative feedback and respond to reviews?
- What's the average rating on review platforms, and how is it trending?
- What happens after purchase: onboarding, ongoing support, upsells?
- Which promises does the competitor break — that's a growth opportunity for you.

Recurring complaints about a competitor are a ready-made list of advantages you can win — if you address those pain points better.

## Criteria and parameters for analysis: how to build a table

To keep the questions from remaining just a list of items, turn them into structure — compile them into a [competitor analysis table](/blog/analiz-konkurentov-tablica-shablon-primer/). Below is a summary table: question, category, what it reveals, and where to find the answer. This is the core of your research.

| Question | Category | What it reveals | Data source |
|---|---|---|---|
| What's included in the product and how does it differ? | Product | Areas for differentiation, gaps in the lineup | Website, price list, demo, reviews |
| How is the pricing tier structured? | Price | Value and margin logic | Price list, proposals, a call posing as a customer |
| What's the stated value proposition? | Marketing | Positioning and promise | Homepage, ads |
| Which queries drive traffic? | Website and SEO | Sources of demand, strategy | Analytics tools, search results |
| What do customers praise and criticize? | Customer experience | Strengths and weaknesses | Reviews, maps, social media |
| Which promotion channels are active? | Marketing | Where the competitor's budget goes | Ads, social media, specialized tools |
| How quickly does support respond? | Customer experience | Service quality | Test inquiry, reviews |

This kind of table solves the main gap in most articles: all the competitor analysis questions are gathered in one place and tied to a data source.

## Methods that help answer the questions: SWOT, Porter, benchmarking

Questions give you raw material, and competitor analysis methods help structure it. Different methods answer different questions — choose based on the task.

| Method | Question it answers | Key questions of the method | When to use it |
|---|---|---|---|
| SWOT analysis | What are the competitor's strengths and vulnerabilities? | Strengths/weaknesses, opportunities, threats | Quick assessment of a single player |
| Porter's Five Forces | How attractive is the market? | Power of suppliers, buyers, new entrants, substitutes, rivalry intensity | Industry assessment before entry |
| Benchmarking | Who sets the standard and how do you close the gap? | What metrics the leader has, what drives the gap | Comparison on specific metrics |
| PEST analysis | What external factors affect the market? | Political, economic, social, technological | Strategic planning |
| Comparative analysis | Who's stronger across a set of criteria? | Scoring competitors on a common scale | Building a competitive map |

**Porter's Five Forces** is the classic model for assessing the competitive environment as a whole, rather than a single company. It answers questions like: how easy is it for newcomers to enter, how strong are the substitutes, who dictates terms — suppliers or buyers. **Benchmarking** compares you against the leader on specific metrics and answers the question "what's driving the gap." **PEST analysis** takes a step back to look at the macro environment.

### SWOT table template to fill in

SWOT is convenient to run for each key competitor. Fill in the table by answering the questions in each quadrant.

| Strengths (S) | Weaknesses (W) |
|---|---|
| What does the competitor do best? What's their reputation? | Where do they fall short in reviews, service, product? |
| **Opportunities (O)** | **Threats (T)** |
| Which market trends could they take advantage of? | What threatens them — and how can we benefit? |

## Worked example: analyzing three competitors of a services agency

Let's show how these questions work using a hypothetical example — a digital services agency comparing three competitors.

| Criterion | Competitor A | Competitor B | Competitor C |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Premium, "starting from $300K" | Mid-range, transparent pricing | Low, price dumping |
| Value proposition | "We work with large enterprises" | "Fast launch in 2 weeks" | "Cheap and turnkey" |
| Website and SEO | Strong blog, ranks top for niche queries | Moderate traffic, weak blog | Ads only, no organic presence |
| Reviews | Praised for expertise, criticized for delays | Praised for speed, few case studies | Many complaints about quality |
| Weak spot | Long sales cycle, high entry barrier | Lacks proof of expertise | Reputation and client churn |

Conclusions from the answers: Competitor A struggles with timelines — you could differentiate on speed without sacrificing quality; Competitor B lacks case studies — strengthen your proof points; Competitor C's niche (low price) is occupied by dumping with a poor reputation, so it's not worth entering. This is how a list of questions turns into strategic decisions within an hour.

## How B2B and B2C competitor analysis questions differ

Another gap in most materials is the difference in approach. Competitive analysis questions for B2B and B2C differ significantly.

| Parameter | B2C | B2B |
|---|---|---|
| Question focus | Price, assortment, emotions, speed | Deal cycle, decision-makers, expertise, terms |
| Key question | Why would a customer choose them at the storefront? | How does the competitor guide the client through negotiations? |
| Sources | Reviews, social media, search results | Case studies, RFPs, industry platforms, a call to their sales team |
| Role of service | Speed and convenience of purchase | Pre-sale process, SLAs, support, contracts |

In B2B, add questions about deal-cycle length, decision-makers, industry case studies, and contract terms. In services, the pre-sale process matters most: how the competitor reacts to an inquiry, what they offer on the first call.

## Checklist of competitor analysis questions

Collect answers for each competitor, going through the categories. This checklist replaces a downloadable file — copy it into a table and fill it in row by row.

**Competitor set**
1. Who do customers mention when comparing?
2. Who ranks at the top of search and ads for our queries?
3. Who solves the same problem differently?

**Product**
4. What's included in the product and how does it differ?
5. What's the stated value proposition, and does it hold up?
6. Which features/services are missing?

**Price**
7. What's the price and pricing logic?
8. Are there discounts, installments, hidden fees?
9. What allows them to hold that price?

**Marketing**
10. How do they position themselves and who do they target?
11. Which channels and offers do they use?
12. What content resonates with the audience?

**Website and SEO**
13. Which queries drive traffic?
14. How is the on-site funnel structured?
15. What trust signals and lead magnets do they use?

**Customer experience**
16. What do reviews praise and criticize?
17. How fast and how well does support work?
18. Which promises are being broken?

Going through these 18 questions for 5–7 competitors will give you a full competitive map of the market.

## Common mistakes when formulating questions

- **Questions without a conclusion.** "What's their price" without "what does that mean for us" is just a fact, not an insight.
- **Different questions for different competitors.** You lose comparability and can't compile a table.
- **Only direct competitors.** Indirect and potential players are often more dangerous.
- **Relying on the storefront.** Data from a homepage, without verification through a call or test inquiry, distorts the picture.
- **One-off analysis.** Markets change — without an update date, data quickly becomes stale.
- **Copying instead of differentiating.** The goal isn't to replicate the competitor, but to find where you can be better or different.

## Turning answers into strategic decisions

Analysis is useless if it ends up as a presentation sitting in a drawer. Break the conclusions down into three levels of decisions:

1. **Tactics (now):** fix offers, prices, website copy; address obvious pain points competitors' customers have.
2. **Product (this quarter):** add missing features or services, strengthen the value proposition and positioning.
3. **Strategy (this year):** choose an unoccupied niche on the competitive map, rebuild the value proposition.

Prioritize using an "impact / effort" principle: tackle quick wins with high impact first. Keep a table with the date of the last update, and repeat the full analysis every 6–12 months, while monitoring prices, promotions, and new offerings monthly. Regularity is what makes competitor analysis a working tool rather than a one-time report.

Asking the right questions is half the result. Start with the checklist above, compile the answers into question-to-insight-to-source tables, apply SWOT and benchmarking where depth is needed, and turn the conclusions into concrete actions. Then competitor analysis stops being a formality and becomes a source of growth decisions.

## FAQ

### What questions should you definitely ask when analyzing direct competitors?

The minimum set: what's included in the product and how it differs, what it costs and how the pricing structure works, who the target customer is, what value proposition is stated, which channels are used for promotion, and what customers praise or criticize in reviews. These six questions give you a basic map of a competitor's strengths and weaknesses and let you quickly see where you have room to differentiate.

### How many competitors should you analyze and how do you choose them?

For a working analysis, 5–7 companies are enough: 3–4 direct competitors, 2–3 indirect ones, and 1–2 potential ones. Choose companies your customers actually mention, ones that overlap with you in search results and advertising, and ones that meet the same need in a different way. Analyzing more than 10 companies in depth is difficult — the data gets diluted.

### What questions should you ask when analyzing a competitor's website?

Key questions: which queries drive traffic and to which pages, how the path from landing to lead submission is structured, what offers and calls to action appear on landing pages, whether there's a blog and how often it's updated, what the load speed and mobile experience are like, and which lead-capture forms are used. The answers reveal the SEO strategy, the funnel, and leak points you can either adopt or bypass.

### How do B2B and B2C competitor analysis questions differ?

In B2C, the focus is on price, assortment, emotions, purchase speed, and reviews. In B2B, you add questions about deal-cycle length, decision-makers, case studies and industry expertise, contract terms and SLAs, and the quality of the sales team and pre-sale process. In B2B, what matters more isn't the storefront but how the competitor guides the client through negotiations.

### How often should you repeat competitor analysis?

A full analysis is worth doing every 6–12 months, while monitoring key parameters (prices, promotions, new offerings, website updates) should happen monthly or quarterly. In fast-moving niches and at project launch, the interval should be shorter. Keep a table with the date of the last update for each competitor so the data doesn't quietly go stale.