
Analyzing a client’s business, industry, and competitors involves a structured approach to gather insights that guide strategic decision-making and uncover growth opportunities. This process typically includes the following steps:
1. Understand the Client’s Business
- Review internal documents such as business plans, financial reports, and marketing materials.
- Identify goals and KPIs to understand what success looks like for the client.
- Assess strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT analysis) to pinpoint areas for improvement.
- Interview key stakeholders to get firsthand perspectives on challenges and priorities.
2. Analyze the Industry
- Research market trends using industry reports, news articles, and market research tools.
- Evaluate market size and growth potential to gauge opportunities.
- Identify regulations and technological shifts that could impact the business.
- Map out the value chain to see where the client fits and where efficiencies or innovations are possible.
3. Study Competitors
- Identify direct, indirect, and emerging competitors in the market.
- Evaluate competitor websites, pricing, and service offerings to understand positioning.
- Analyze marketing strategies through social media presence, ad campaigns, and SEO performance.
- Perform a competitive SWOT to reveal their advantages and weaknesses relative to the client.
When combined, these insights create a clear picture of where the client stands, what differentiates them, and where strategic adjustments can deliver the strongest results.
If you want, I can also make you a ready-to-use competitor and industry analysis template so you can apply this process quickly for any client.