How to analyze competitors of an online store before launch: types of competitors, what to compare, free tools, conclusions for prices, assortment and ads.
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Competitor analysis for an online store before launch is a structured collection of data about the businesses that already sell similar products to the same audience: assortment, prices, delivery terms, website quality and customer acquisition channels. The result is a comparison table and an answer to the question of where your store will be at least on par and why customers will choose it.
The list is built around buyer behavior: where a buyer will go when looking for the same thing you sell.
To find them, enter 10–20 queries your buyer would search for into Google and write down who ranks at the top. Add stores running ads in the search results, social media accounts with similar products and offers on marketplaces. From the resulting list, keep 5–10 representatives of different groups.
| Area | What to check |
|---|---|
| Assortment | Breadth and depth, unique items, availability and lead times |
| Prices | Range, positioning (budget, mid-range, premium), promotions and discounts |
| Terms | Delivery, payment, returns, warranty, minimum order value |
| Website | Speed, mobile version, filters, photos, product pages, reviews, checkout |
| Content | Descriptions, reviews, blog, videos, buying guides |
| Search | Which pages are visible for key queries, site structure, headings |
| Advertising | Presence in Google Shopping and search ads, promotions, ad copy |
| Social media and service | Activity, response speed, chat, phone, messengers |
For each area, give a score on a simple scale and add a short note: this shows where a competitor is weak and where your store can win.
A comparison table is useful when decisions follow from it. Answer five questions:
For the last question, make a rough calculation with hypothetical numbers. For example, if a click costs UAH 10 and one order takes 50 clicks, advertising for one order will cost about UAH 500. If the order margin is lower than this amount, the channel is unprofitable, and you need a different price, a different product or different acquisition channels.
Open space does not yet guarantee demand, so it is verified with search queries and conversations with potential buyers.
Compare prices for identical products with the same configuration, warranty and delivery terms. Build a sample of several dozen typical items: bestsellers, mid-range and expensive products. Record the price on the page, promo code discounts, the delivery cost and the minimum order value for free delivery. This shows the real cost of a purchase and the pricing policy: who keeps a low price on popular items and who earns on related products.
Record the result in the comparison table together with the scores for the other areas.
A test purchase shows what you cannot see on the website: service standards, small problems and the strengths customers mention in reviews.
A marketplace shows demand in numbers: the number of reviews and orders (where they are displayed), seller ratings, price trends, promotions and paid placements. See which products reach the top positions and how they differ: price, photos, reviews or shipping speed. This tells you what buyers expect in the category and helps you decide whether a marketplace suits you as an additional channel.
Before calling a niche open, make sure demand exists: look at the number of search queries for the main categories, the trend of interest in tools such as Google Trends and whether advertisers appear in the search results. The presence of ads means the niche brings orders to at least someone. The absence of ads may indicate weak demand or a low margin.
Use open information: websites, ads, reviews, public profiles. Do not log into closed systems, do not use other people's accounts and do not mislead sellers during test purchases and inquiries. You may study competitors' texts and images; copying them is off-limits.
The summary takes one page and consists of three parts. Below is a hypothetical example for a pet supplies store.
The hypothetical example shows the logic: numbers and observations lead to a short decision with specific steps. The exact conclusions depend on your niche, country and budget, so the summary is reviewed after the first months of operation.
To start, five to ten representatives of different groups are enough. A longer list complicates the work without benefiting the decisions.
The first analysis can be done manually. Paid services add scale and traffic estimates, though their figures are approximate.
Before launch, then regularly, for example once a quarter, and before seasonal peaks.
Studying the structure and approaches is useful; copying texts and photos infringes rights and hurts search visibility.
Look for a narrow subcategory, service or expertise, take commissions into account and combine your own website with selling on a marketplace.
Competitor analysis turns assumptions into verified decisions: you see who works in the niche, what customers lack and which position you can take. Keep the comparison table, update it before seasons and use it to choose your assortment, prices and promotion channels. Add the date of the check, the source of each figure and your own conclusions so that in a few months you can compare the market with its initial state. This makes the analysis a working tool, and decisions about purchasing and advertising rest on facts. If you need help assessing a niche or a website, the LightSEO team from Mukachevo can help with an SEO audit of your website and with choosing a solution for your niche.
