A strategic UX competitive analysis is the secret to making digital products that not only meet but go above and beyond what users expect.
In Indonesia, where things move quickly, it’s not enough to have an excellent concept. You also need to know what’s going on in the market, learn from what your competitors do effectively and incorrectly, and look for new opportunities to innovate.
Your team can make better design choices from the start by regularly looking at how users interact with similar products.
This guide will show you the basics of doing a UX competitive analysis. Let’s dive in.
Also Read: Personalized User Experience: The Key to Customer Loyalty
What Is a UX Competitive Analysis?
A UX competitive analysis is an instrument for finding out what makes a competitor’s product good or bad and how they attempt to improve it. It’s not about doing what others do.
A UX competitive analysis is more than just doing research; it’s a way to learn about established design patterns, find gaps in the market, and get a clear idea of what users in your field already expect.
This analysis provides you with important background information that will help you with your own design strategy. It will also guide you to avoid making the same mistakes and focus on the things that will really set your product apart.
Why UX Competitive Analysis Is a Non-Negotiable Step in Your Design Process
A competitive analysis is an important part of a successful design process. This is why it’s so important.
1. It Establishes a Baseline
A UX competitive analysis helps you learn about the standard features and usability rules in your field.
Knowing this baseline stops you from putting out a product that doesn’t make sense or is missing important features.
2. It Identifies Market Gaps and Opportunities
You can find innovative methods to do things by looking at what your competitors aren’t doing well.
The main thing that makes your app different from others could be a common problem that many of your competitors’ apps have.
3. It Saves Time and Resources
It is way cheaper to learn from other people’s mistakes than to make your own.
You can avoid dead ends and focus your efforts on more promising solutions by looking at which design approaches have failed.
4. It Supports Broader UX Research
The results of a competitive analysis give you a good starting point for your own user research, which helps you come up with better questions for interviews and usability tests.
A Step-by-Step Guide to UX Competitive Analysis
A structured approach ensures that your analysis is thorough and gives you useful information that can help you get ahead of your competitors.
Not to mention, a clear step-by-step process allows you to stay focused on what’s most important instead of getting lost in a lot of features.
We’ll go over the most important steps, starting from picking the right competitors to study, doing a thorough UX audit to get data, and turning that data into a clear plan of action.
1. Identify Your True Competitors
First, make a list of your direct competitors (those who offer the same thing to the same people) and indirect competitors (those who solve the same problem in a different way). This could mean both local and international businesses.
To keep the analysis focused and manageable, try to come up with a list of 3 to 5 main competitors.
2. Conduct a Thorough UX Audit
After you have your list, take a closer look at how each competitor’s product works for users. Write down your findings in detail, focusing to important points like:
- First Impressions & Onboarding – How simple is it to get started?
- Navigation & Information Architecture – Is the layout intuitive? Can users find what they need?
- Core User Flows – How do they do essential tasks like signing up, buying something, or making something?
- Visual Design & Branding – How do they use color, typography, and imagery?
- Unique Features & Gimmicks – What sets their experience apart?
3. Analyze and Synthesize Your Findings
Now that your audit has concluded, you need to put the data together. The goal is to go from a list of observations to a summary of strategic insights.
A SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) for each competitor is a great way to do this. This method will help you see clearly where each competitor does well, where they don’t, and where your product may excel.
Common Methods for Gathering Insights
As previously mentioned, a SWOT analysis is a good way to put together your findings, but the quality of your insights depends on the accuracy of the data you collect.
You’ll need to use a variety of research methods to get a full picture of the competitive landscape in order to do a full audit.
Let’s look at some other ways to get this information, such as testing products yourself, looking at user reviews, and mapping out competitive user journeys.
1. Direct Product Use
Sign up for and use the products of your competitors. Take detailed notes and screenshots as you go through their main user journeys.
2. User Review Analysis
Read reviews on the App Store, Google Play, G2, Capterra, and other sites to see what other people think. These are an invaluable repository of genuine user feedback about what people like and don’t like.
3. User Journey Mapping
Make a visual map of the steps a user takes to finish a main task on a competitor’s site. This is a great way to see how different flows compare in terms of how well they work and how complicated they are.
Also Read: Bad UX = Lost Trust: How Design Mistakes Damage Your Brand
Turning Analysis into a Competitive Advantage with Antikode
A thorough UX competitive analysis gives your team the confidence and strategic clarity they need to design.
You can avoid common mistakes, find great chances for innovation, and make a product that gives users a better experience by knowing what your competitors are doing.
This is an important step that changes your design process from making assumptions to using data to making decisions. It helps to ensure that the final product is not only well-made but also well-positioned for success.
Expert execution and in-depth research are both necessary to deliver a genuinely outstanding user experience.
We at Antikode are professionals in every step of the process, from conducting the comprehensive competitive analysis of UX to developing a unique digital product.