In this assignment, you’ll conduct a competitive audit

In this assignment, you’ll conduct a competitive audit and create a report for the project you’ve been developing throughout the course.

This activity has two parts:

• Part 1: Conduct a competitive audit
• Part 2: Create a competitive audit report

A competitive audit explores your competitors’ strengths and weaknesses. You can present the results of this analysis to your design team and stakeholders in a competitive audit report. The insights you gain from this process can inform your design process and help you save time, money, and energy. To refresh your memory on the steps involved in creating a competitive audit, review the Steps to conduct a competitive audit video and reading.

In addition to completing your own competitive audit and competitive audit report, you’ll also assess two fellow learners’ submissions of these items. Reviewing another learner’s competitive audit is excellent practice in identifying the level of detail and key elements needed as you continue to conduct competitive audits in the future.

 

 

 

 

Review criteria

Part 1: Competitive audit

Your completed competitive audit will be assessed out of four points using the following criteria:

• 2 points: The competitive audit spreadsheet identifies 3-5 competitors, along with “direct” and “indirect” designations.
• 2 points: The competitive audit spreadsheet provides clear ratings for each of the features compared.

Part 2: Competitive audit report

Your completed competitive audit report will be assessed out of six points using the following criteria:

• 1 point: The competitive audit report has a clear goal listed at the top.
• 1 point: The competitive audit report describes the type and quality of the products competitors have to offer.
• 1 point: The competitive audit report considers how competitors describe themselves.
• 1 point: The competitive audit report identifies how competitors position themselves in the market.
• 1 point: The competitive audit report examines what the competition does well and what they could do better.
• 1 point: The competitive audit report identifies gaps and opportunities in the market.

 

 

 

 

 

Step-By-Step Assignment Instructions

In Part 1 of this activity, you will conduct a competitive audit. In Part 2, you will create a competitive audit report. The instructions for both parts of the activity are below.

Part 1: Conduct a competitive audit

Step 1: Access the template

To use the template for this course item, click the link below and select “Use Template.”

Link to template: competitive audit comparison template.

OR

If you don’t have a Google account, you can download the template directly from the attachment below.

Google UX Design Certificate – Competitive audit [Template]

XLSX File

Step 2: Outline your competitive audit goals

Consider the goal(s) of your competitive audit. Write 1-2 sentences describing your goal(s) for your competitive audit at the top of the sheet next to “Goal.”

For example, the goal for Zia’s Pizza could be, “Compare the ordering experience of each competitor’s app.”

Step 3: Identify competitors

Search online for  three to five products or services similar to yours. Make sure to identify at least one direct competitor and one indirect competitor:

• Direct competitors offering products or services similar to yours and have the same target audience. Essentially, you’re both trying to solve the same problem.
• Indirect competitors either offer different products to the same target audience or offer similar products to a different target audience.

Including both direct and indirect competitors  gives you a clearer idea of the full competitive landscape.

Step 4: Add competitor information

Next, add the name of each competitor to the spreadsheet, replacing “Competitor #1 name” with the first competitor, and so on. Then, add details about each competitor to the template under the following headings:

1. Competitor type (direct or indirect)
2. Location(s)
3. Product offering
4. Price (relative costs from $ –
5. )
6. Website (URL)
7. Business size (small, medium, large)
8. Target audience
9. Unique value proposition

Step 5: Add research findings

Review each competitor’s website and app. Then record your findings in the spreadsheet. For each competitor, evaluate positive and negative aspects of each of the following categories—First impressions, Interaction, Visual design, and Content. The First impressions category should assess your competitors’ digital presence in general, including both their websites and apps. The Interaction, Visual design, and Content categories should focus specifically on your competitors’ apps.

Eight commonly compared features are pre-filled beneath each category (in row four of the template). Feel free to add or remove features based on the goal of your competitive audit. The features already in the template include:

1. First impressions: Desktop website experience, App or mobile website experience
2. Interaction: Features, Accessibility, User flow, Navigation
3. Visual design: Brand identity
4. Content: Tone, Descriptiveness

Once you’ve settled on the features you want to compare, rate each competitor according to the following scale:

• Needs work
• Okay
• Good
• Outstanding

Remember to consider details like what works well, what could be improved, and whether your competitor meets the needs of their target audience.

Step-by-Step Part 2

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Part 2: Create a competitive audit report

Step 1: Access the competitive audit report template

To use the template for this course item, click the link below and select “Use Template.”

Link to template: competitive audit report template.

OR

If you don’t have a Google account, you can download the template directly from the attachment below.

Google UX Design Certificate – Competitive Audit Report [Template]

DOCX File

Step 2: Analyze your findings

Examine your completed competitive audit spreadsheet, and try to spot at least 2-3 themes and 2-3 trends:

• In this context, a theme is a high-level idea, like a company that values collaboration or believes in making their product available on lots of devices.
• A trend is how different companies put those ideas into practice. For example, how many companies that value collaboration offer expanded cloud storage for collaborative use? To uncover trends, ask yourself: What are the similarities between you and your competitors? Is there a feature that your competitors all approach in the same way?

Step 3: Summarize your findings in a report

To create your competitive audit report, you’ll present the insights from your audit in narrative form. Consider the themes and trends you uncovered during your audit while writing your report. There are nine sections in the report template, to be filled out as follows:

1. Competitive audit goal(s). Enter the goal(s) from the top of your audit spreadsheet.
2. Who are your key competitors? Consult your research and the General information section of your audit and describe each competitor in 1-2 sentences. Be sure to note whether they are direct or indirect competitors.
3. What are the type and quality of competitors’ products? Describe what each competitor offers, making note of what they do well and what they could do better. Your answers should be complete, but relatively brief—no more than a short paragraph (2-5 sentences) for each competitor.
4. How do competitors position themselves in the market? Describe each competitor’s target audience in a few sentences. Be specific about characteristics of their ideal customers (e.g., age, location, income, spending habits, etc.).
5. How do competitors talk about themselves? Consider each company’s value proposition. Summarize what they claim is unique about their offerings in 2-3 sentences.
6. Competitors’ strengths. List 2-4 things each competitor does particularly well.
7. Competitors’ weaknesses. List 2-4 things each competitor could do better.
8. Consider what your competitors fail to do. Identify 2-3 gaps in the market that they do not fill (e.g., design or product features, customization, etc.).
9. Consider ways you might address the market gaps you identified. List 2-3 opportunities for your product to stand out from its competitors.

Step 4: Submit your work and review peers

When you have completed both the competitive audit and audit report, download and save each as a PDF. Then upload the PDF files through the My Submission tab at the top of the page.

After you’ve submitted your own work, review the work of two of your peers.

Example Submissions

Competitive Audit Exemplar

You can review a completed exemplar of a competitive audit and report using the Zia’s Pizza scenario below:

Zia’s Pizza Business Scenarios

Zia’s Pizza is a regional pizza establishment whose target customer is too busy to prepare a family meal. Typically located in the near suburbs of a metropolitan area, Zia’s strives to deliver superior quality specialty pizzas and pasta meals to commuting workers who find they lack the time necessary to prepare dinner for a family, or otherwise don’t have the ability to do so. Zia’s focuses on high-quality fresh ingredients and a variety of pizza options. Zia’s highlights health-conscious options, such as lower-carb pizza crust options and gluten-free pastas, as well as healthy sides and dressings. They are able to offer a wide spectrum of competitive pricing, depending on options chosen by the customer.

Services:

• Zia’s offers delivery and pick-up services only. No in-store dining.
• Zia’s only accepts advance orders online or by phone. Pick-up orders are fulfilled at a drive-thru window, when possible, otherwise, customers pick up at a walk-up window/counter (inside customer space is limited)

Competitive audit for Zia’s Pizza:

To view the scenario for this course item, click the link below and select “Use Template.”

• Link to scenario: Zia’s Pizza competitive audit.

OR

If you don’t have a Google account, you can download the scenario directly from the attachment below.

Google UX Design Certificate – Competitive audit – Zia’s Pizza [example]

XLSX File

Zia’s Pizza competitive audit report:

To view the scenario for this course item, click the link below and select “Use Template.”

Link to scenario: Zia’s Pizza competitive audit report

OR

If you don’t have a Google account, you can download the scenario directly from the attachment below.

Google UX Design Certificate – Competitive Audit Report – Zia’s Pizza [Template]

DOCX File

Part 1: Competitive Audit Comparison Spreadsheet

Here is how we completed the steps of the competitive audit for Zia’s Pizza:

Outline your competitive audit goals

For Zia’s Pizza, the goal for the competitive audit is to compare the ordering experience of each competitor’s app.

Identify competitors and add them to the spreadsheet

First, an online search was done of Zia’s product, pizza, to identify direct and indirect competitors. Then, the competitors were added to the General information section of the spreadsheet:

• Pizza King: A pizza chain that’s slightly cheaper than Zia’s Pizzas. Pizza King uses lower-quality ingredients but is famous for its “flash deals” and above-and-beyond delivery service. Pizza King is a direct competitor to Zia’s Pizza.
• Pesto Palace: A small, low-cost family-style eatery that has a wide-ranging menu of classic Italian food. Pesto Palace is an indirect competitor to Zia’s Pizza.

Add research findings

After researching  the user experience of each competitor’s app and website, findings were added to the following categories: First Impressions, Interaction, Visual design, and Content

Part 2: Competitive Audit Report

The findings were then analyzed for trends and themes in preparation for the competitive audit report.

The Zia’s Pizza competitive audit report addressed the following points:

• The goal of the competitive audit
• Zia’s Pizza’s key competitors (direct and indirect)
• The type and quality of competitors’ products
• How competitors position themselves in the market
• How competitors describe themselves
• Strengths and weaknesses of Zia’s Pizza’s competitors
• Gaps in competitors’ products and opportunities for Zia’s Pizza’s product to stand out

Keep in mind this is a very simple report, with only two competitor businesses. Your report may be longer and more detailed than this example.

 

 

Examples of Good Feedback

Once you submit your competitive audit comparison spreadsheet and your competitive audit report responses, you’ll review your classmates’ work and give feedback on their submission. Below, you will find some guidelines and examples of good feedback to help you leave constructive comments for your peers.

When giving feedback, consider:

• Leading with positive feedback
• Providing a balance of positive and negative feedback
• Sticking to information-specific, issue-focused, and observation centered comments

Examples of Good Feedback:

• Your competitive audit report is well-written! You did a great job finding a good mix of direct and indirect competitors.
• Good job overall! You noted what your competitors have in common, but maybe add one or two ways in which they’re different from each other, too.
• You seem to understand the scope of the project. However, your competitive audit report features aren’t specific enough for you to compare businesses.
• You might want to go back and reassess your competitive audit goal and develop some new features to compare the businesses.