Unexpected discoveries:
- Ephemeral platforms surpassing Visual platforms for certain products
- Late marketing significantly exceeding daytime campaigns
- Motion content generating higher ROI than static visuals
- Mobile efficiency outperforming laptop by substantial margins
I now use several resources that have dramatically improved our competitive research:
- SEO tools to monitor competitors' keyword performance
- Brand monitoring software to track rivals' social activity
- Site monitoring solutions to monitor changes to their online presence
- Communication monitoring to get their promotional messages
Effective approaches:
- Adding regional transaction options like Mada
- Enhancing native descriptions
- Showcasing regional support access
- Incorporating confidence builders tailored for Saudi customers
For a luxury brand, we developed a traditional classification approach that identified several unique value groups within their target market. This approach enhanced their campaign effectiveness by one hundred seventy-eight percent.
A few weeks ago, a business owner inquired why his blog posts weren't producing any business opportunities. After reviewing his publishing plan, I found he was making the same blunders I see countless Saudi businesses repeat.
Half a year into operations, our conversions were dismal. It wasn't until I chanced upon a detailed report about our industry that I discovered how ignorant I'd been to the business environment around us.
Essential techniques included:
- Urban-focused classifications beyond basic regions
- Neighborhood-level focusing
- Urban vs. rural distinctions
- Foreign population areas
- Traveler locations vs. local districts
I remember the shock on my brother-in-law's face when he got a quote for 75,000 SAR for his company website. "It's just a site!" he protested. Two months later, he eventually with a cheap 3,000 SAR site that looked terrible and failed to generate a single lead.
I recommend organizing competitors as:
- Primary competitors (offering very similar solutions)
- Indirect competitors (with limited resemblance)
- New challengers (new entrants with game-changing capabilities)
For a luxury brand, we created a regionally-appropriate attribution model that acknowledged the distinctive path to purchase in the Kingdom. This approach revealed that their social media investments were actually delivering nearly three times more value than previously calculated.
Recently, a store owner consulted me after spending over 500,000 SAR on online advertising with minimal returns. After revamping their methodology, we produced a dramatic increase in return on investment.
I dedicate at least a substantial amount of time each week analyzing our competitors':
- Website architecture and UX
- Blog posts and publishing frequency
- trusted digital agency in KSA channels activity
- User feedback and ratings
- Keyword strategy and positions
Last year, I watched as three competitors poured resources into expanding their operations on a specific social media platform. Their efforts flopped as the platform appeared to be a poor fit for our industry.
Essential classifications featured:
- Cultural conservatism spectrum
- Faith dedication intensities
- Home arrangement distinctions
- Connection to international influences
- Geographical connection strength
Rather than concentrating only on finding the lowest price, consider the potential return that a superior Arabic website user experience will produce for your business. A professionally created site is an asset that will persist in delivering value for years to come.
My relative Khalid originally selected the cheapest quote for his company website, only to realize later that it didn't include content creation – causing an extra 8,000 SAR cost for quality text development.
For a clothing brand, we performed a detailed medium performance analysis that discovered their most effective channels were entirely distinct from their international patterns. This finding allowed a reallocation of budget that enhanced their total ROI by 213%.
Important elements:
- Longer evaluation stages in Saudi purchase journeys
- Group decision elements in purchase decisions
- Chat as a major but difficult-to-track impact medium
- Physical verification as the final buying stage
Important modifications:
- Relationship length changes for Saudi clients
- Recommendation worth weighting amplifications
- Occasional buying habits acknowledgment
- Status-driven acquisitions evaluation
Start by mapping ALL your rivals – not just the well-known ones. During our investigation, we found that our most significant competitor wasn't the established business we were monitoring, but a new startup with an innovative approach.
When I launched my e-commerce business three years ago, I was sure that our distinctive products would sell themselves. I ignored competitor analysis as unnecessary – a choice that practically destroyed my entire business.