"Know your enemy" – Sun Tzu was right. A systematic competitive analysis is the key to informed decisions on pricing, product development and marketing.
Why Competitive Analysis?
A good competitive analysis answers these questions:
- Pricing: Where do I position myself on price?
- Gaps: Which customer needs aren't being met?
- Differentiation: How can I stand out?
- Trends: Where is the market heading?
- Risks: Who could become a threat to me?
The 5-Step Method
Step 1: Identify Competitors
Search for your main keywords and note the top 10-20 results. Categorise them:
Same product, same target group
Different product, same problem
Large brands that could enter
Step 2: Collect Data
You need these data points from every relevant competitor:
Product data
- • Price (current + historical)
- • Number of reviews and rating
- • Variants and bundles
- • A+ Content available?
- • FBA or FBM?
Performance data
- • BSR (Best Seller Rank)
- • Estimated sales/month
- • Keyword-Rankings
- • PPC activity
- • Listing changes
Step 3: Analyse Reviews
The gold mine for product improvements. Analyse systematically:
- 1-2 star reviews: What is being criticised? Those are your opportunities.
- 4-5 star reviews: What is being praised? You have to offer that too.
- 3 star reviews: The "almost satisfied" buyers – what's missing?
Step 4: Pricing Analysis
Understand the market's price structure:
| Segment | Price | Market share | Ø Reviews |
|---|---|---|---|
| Budget | 9,99 - 14,99 € | 35% | 3.8★ |
| Mid-range | 15,99 - 24,99 € | 45% | 4.2★ |
| Premium | 25,99 - 39,99 € | 20% | 4.5★ |
Step 5: Create a SWOT
Summarise your findings in a SWOT analysis:
What do you do better than the competitors?
Where do you need to catch up?
Which market gaps can you exploit?
What dangers lie in wait?
Tools for Competitive Analysis
a dedicated keyword tool
All-in-one for keyword research, BSR tracking, competitor monitoring
From 39$/montha product-research tool
Strong sales estimates, supplier database, opportunity finder
From 49$/montha price-history tool
Price history, BSR trend, stock level tracking
From 19€/monthSellercore
Competitor prices in real time, automatic alerts, repricing integration
Free trialFree Analysis Methods
Even without tools, you can learn a lot:
- Amazon itself: BSR is public, price history via CamelCamelCamel
- Google Trends: Seasonality and search interest
- Manual review analysis: Read the top 50 reviews of competitors
- Listing comparison: Take screenshots, track changes
- Social listening: What are customers saying on Reddit, Facebook groups?
From Analysis to Action
Analysis without action is useless. Here's how to put findings into practice:
Conclusion
A good competitive analysis gives you an informed edge. The most important points:
- Be systematic: Apply the 5-step method consistently
- Reviews as a gold mine: The most honest market research
- Use tools: Automation saves time
- Take action: Turn findings into actions
- Repeat: Markets change – stay on it
Track competitors automatically
With Sellercore, you see competitor prices in real time and react automatically.
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