A practical competitor comparison worksheet

1. Choose the customer decision to study

Competitor analysis means looking at the alternatives your customer could buy and understanding the differences. Start with one purchase decision, such as ordering lunch or choosing a monthly marketing service.

1. Complete this sentence: My customer needs ___ and is likely to choose based on ___.
2. Pick two businesses selling a similar offer to that customer. Add a third alternative that solves the same problem differently.
3. Include your own business. A neighbourhood café might compare itself with two nearby cafés and a lunch delivery service.
4. Record the scope: Decision to improve ___; offer being compared ___; location or market ___; date ___.

Use paper or Google Sheets. Sheets supports shared access and comments, but you still need to collect and check the competitor information yourself. For team access, follow [Google’s sharing instructions](https://support.google.com/docs/answer/9331169?hl=en).

2. Fill in the comparison

Set up five columns: Question | Our business | Competitor A | Competitor B | Competitor C. Use each item below as a row. Enter “not publicly shown” when you cannot find an answer. Missing information does not prove a service is unavailable.

• Customer: Who is the offer aimed at? Audience ___; page or post supporting that view ___.
• Offer: What does the customer receive? Product or service ___; included items ___; paid extras ___.
• Reason to choose: Main promise ___; example or evidence supporting it ___.
• Total cost: Listed price ___; delivery and required fees ___; total ___; conditions attached to any promotion ___.
• Buying process: Starting page ___; steps required ___; point where the instructions become unclear ___.
• Timing: Published preparation or delivery time ___; areas served ___.
• Trust: Reviews, work samples or return terms ___; recurring theme in recent reviews ___.
• Marketing message: Main theme across the latest five posts ___; action the customer is asked to take ___.
• Evidence: Beside each observation, record its page link ___; date checked ___; supporting note or screenshot ___.

Keep the comparison fair. For an online shop, use the same product size, quantity and delivery destination. Review posts from a matching date range. Follower counts do not tell you how many orders a business receives.

3. Turn a finding into a one-week test

Highlight three differences and explain why each might matter to a customer. Choose one change that is useful, affordable and easy to check. A competitor’s approach is a clue, not proof that it will work for your business.

• Observed fact: ___; supporting source: ___.
• Our assumption about why it matters: ___.
• The single change we will make: ___.
• Owner: ___; deadline: ___; time and spending limit: ___.
• Measure to track: ___; result from the previous comparable period: ___.
• Success condition agreed before starting: ___; review date: ___.
• Decision after review: keep / adjust / stop; reason: ___.

Illustrative example: A small online shop finds that its delivery charge is harder to locate than those of two competitors. It adds a delivery note beside the order button for one week. The owner compares delivery questions and completed orders with the previous comparable week. Low order volume or a separate promotion makes the result less conclusive.

Go further with the AI Builders community

For real examples, peer feedback and discussion, visit the Azerbaijani AI Builders community’s [resources page](https://abcommunity.org/resurslar). Share your comparison and proposed test with the community. Ask which missing evidence could change your decision. Remove customer names and internal financial details before sharing.