Checking Out the Competition: Your UX Superpower for Building Better Stuff

Ever wonder what other apps or websites in your field are doing? Well, smart designers do too! It's called competitive analysis, and it's like checking out the competition to see what they're doing right (and wrong) so you can build something even better.

Think of it like this: if you're opening a new pizza place, you wouldn't just start throwing dough without looking at the other pizza joints in town, right? You'd want to know what kind of pizza they sell, how their place looks, what their prices are, and what people seem to like (or dislike) about them. Competitive analysis in UX is pretty much the same thing, but for websites and apps.

Why Should You Care What Others Are Doing?

You might think, "I have a great idea! I don't need to look at anyone else." But trust me, keeping your eyes closed to the competition is like driving with a blindfold on. Here's why competitive analysis is your secret weapon:

• See What Works (and What Doesn't): Other people have already tried things out. Why reinvent the wheel? You can learn from their successes and, more importantly, their mistakes.
  

• Find Gaps in the Market: Maybe your competitors are all missing a key feature or struggling with a certain part of their user experience. That's your chance to shine!
  

• Get Inspired (But Don't Copy!): Seeing different approaches can spark new ideas and help you think outside the box. Just remember, inspiration is different from straight-up copying.
  

• Understand User Expectations: People get used to certain ways of doing things online. Knowing what your competitors are doing helps you meet those expectations (or intentionally break them in a smart way).
  

• Benchmark Your Own Design: How does your website or app stack up against the competition? Competitive analysis gives you a yardstick to measure your own progress.
  

How to Be a Friendly (Yet Clever) Observer:

So, how exactly do you conduct competitive analysis? Here's an easy way to approach it:

1. Pick Your Players: Decide which websites or apps are your main competitors. These are usually the ones that offer similar products or services to your target audience.
   

2. Take a Good Look Around: Spend some time using their websites or apps. Pretend you're a regular user. What's easy? What's confusing? What do you like? What do you hate?
   

3. Focus on the Important Stuff (UX-wise!): Don't just look at how pretty it is. Pay attention to things like:
   

   • Navigation: How easy is it to find what you're looking for?

   • User Flow: How smooth is it to complete tasks (like buying something or signing up)?

   • Information Architecture: Is the content organized logically?

   • Usability: Are there any obvious pain points or frustrations?

   • Accessibility: Does it seem like they're trying to make their product usable for everyone?

   • Content: Is it clear, helpful, and engaging?

   • Tone and Voice: How do they communicate with their users?
     

4. Make Notes (Be Detailed!): Write down everything you notice. What are their strengths? What are their weaknesses? What are they doing differently?
   

5. Look for Patterns: Are there things that most of your competitors are doing well? Are there common mistakes they're making?
   

6. Think About Your Users: How do your competitors' designs align (or not align) with what you know about your own target audience?
   

Don't Just Copy, Be Better!

The goal of competitive analysis isn't to create a carbon copy of your competitors. It's about learning from them so you can create something even better and more unique. Use their successes as inspiration and their failures as warnings.

In a Nutshell:

Competitive analysis is like doing your homework before a big test. It helps you understand the landscape, identify opportunities, and ultimately create a website or app that truly stands out and delights your users. So, get curious, do your research, and use what you learn to build something amazing!