Using competitor analysis to create an effective website structure. Part 2
Applying competitor analysis to site structure
Based on competitor analysis, you can form a structure for your website that will meet the requirements of your target audience and stand out from the competition. The main sections, subsections, catalog structure and user path on the site should be thought out and reflected in the structure.
Let's imagine that your analysis reveals that all your competitors have "Products" and "Contact Us" sections on their websites. Most of them also have an "About Us" section, and several sites offer their visitors a "Blog" with useful tips and information.
You'll notice that the product catalog on each of the competitor sites is organized differently. Some sort their products by category, others by brand or product type. It is important to take this into account when planning the structure of your site, especially when forming the "Products" section.
You can use this information as a starting point for creating the basic structure of your website. The "Products", "Contact Us" and "About Us" sections should definitely be present, as they are standard in your industry. But introducing a "Blog" section can be a good way to differentiate yourself from your competitors and attract more visitors to your site.
Moreover, your company has a unique advantage - you have your own farm where all your products are grown. This gives you the opportunity to create a special section on your website called "Our Farm". Here you can share information about the methods you use to grow your products, introduce visitors to your team, and show photos and videos of the process. This will give your site a unique feel and allow visitors to see behind the scenes, which can be an additional trust factor.
So, using the results of competitor analysis, including analyzing the structure of their product catalogs, you will be able to develop a unique and effective structure for your website. It will meet the needs of your target audience and be different from your competitors' sites.
How to build the structure of each page based on competitor analysis
Once you have determined the overall structure of your site, it's on to developing the structure of each individual page. Competitor analysis will also help you by identifying universal elements and unique characteristics that can be used to improve user interaction with your site.
Let's go back to our agribusiness example. During your competitor analysis, you noticed that most product pages contain basic information about the product, including the name, description, price, and photos. However, some add additional details such as the product's origin story, storage and preparation tips, and customer testimonials.
Based on this information, you can create a more detailed and informative structure for your product pages. Instead of limiting yourself to basic information, you can tell more about the process of growing the produce, the specifics of how to care for it, and offer recipes in which the product can be used.
You should also consider adding a section with customer testimonials. This will not only increase visitors' confidence in your products, but will also provide them with additional information that they can consider when making a purchasing decision.
Thus, applying competitor analysis when designing the structure of each individual page will help make your site more meaningful and attractive to users. This, in turn, can lead to an increase in the number of visitors and improve the level of their loyalty.
Conclusion
Competitor analysis is a powerful tool that helps to form an effective and competitive website structure. Don't neglect this stage when developing a website, and you will see how it can significantly improve the results of your project.