Competition is a fact of life in business. Chances are, there is another business like yours serving the same pool of potential customers. This competition pushes all of us to do better work: a faster product, more authentic customer service, a more enjoyable experience for the client.
The Connectivity platform searches hundreds of customer review sites to help you learn more about the competition. Sure, you may have a good idea of what they’re up to; maybe you’ve even visited one of your competitor’s locations. But what if you could check in every day on what their customers are saying?
With the Connectivity platform, you can know immediately what your potential customers feel about your most important competitors. Search for specific businesses that matter to you and read all online reviews…or just recent ones. Or look solely at the competitor’s five star ratings to see what people love about their business. Want to know how they can improve? Search just one-star ratings.
The Keywords tool is a great feature to see a quick snapshot of review keywords such as “excellent” “on-time” “helpful” and “well-priced.”
How about the loyalty card program your competition just rolled out? Search for the program’s name to see what people think.
Once you have a good grasp on what the competition is doing, use that information to improve your business. Here are few suggestions:
Reviews
Online reviewers are passionate about their experiences—good and bad. They will say what they specifically enjoyed: “seasonal pancakes,” “helpful service,” or “great rates for first-time drivers.” Use this information—and the reviews for your own business on the Connectivity platform—to craft similar experiences and offerings.
Conversely, your competition’s customers won’t hold back when it comes to a disappointing experience: “the bartender was incredibly rude,” “the doctor was 55 minutes late” or “the women’s restroom was filthy.” Be glad these reviews aren’t for your business, and then examine what you can improve.
Editorial
The Connectivity platform shows review sources, including editorial. Have a spare moment? Send an email to the editorial source, such as a local newspaper reporter. Invite them to stop by and check out your business. Tell them why you are different.
Trends Over Time
Are your competitors getting better? The platform’s Review Popularity Trend graph on the dashboard is a fantastic tool to see where the competition is in the online review race. Are they gaining on you? If so, drill down into the Reviews for more information. Is it their hours, ambience, service, prices, products or something else?
With your competitor’s information at your fingertips (or on your phone…Connectivity can even text it to you!), your business can grow stronger each day. Let us know if we can help. And viva la competition!
Alex is Connectivity’s VP of Marketing.
