In a dynamic market like Jordan, no company can succeed without closely monitoring its competitors. Competitor analysis is not a luxury—it’s a necessity for building successful marketing strategies, identifying opportunities, and gaining a competitive edge that ensures sustainability and growth.
Smart businesses constantly study the market and realign their marketing compass based on what their competitors are doing. So the key question is: What are the most effective methods for analyzing competitors in the Jordanian market? And how can you use the insights from that analysis to improve performance and increase market share?
First: Why Is Competitor Analysis Critical?
Before diving into tools and techniques, it’s essential to understand the value of this analysis.
Competitor analysis allows a company to:
- Identify competitors’ strengths and weaknesses
- Spot market gaps that can be exploited
- Develop more precise and realistic marketing strategies
- Improve internal performance by benchmarking against the best
- Predict future market movements and avoid surprises
Second: Understanding the Jordanian Market
The Jordanian market is characterized by demographic and cultural diversity, variations in purchasing power, and a large number of local and regional companies. Sectors like services, e-commerce, and IT are seeing increasing competition.
As such, analyzing competitors in this market requires a deep understanding of the local context, Jordanian consumer behavior, and buying habits.
Third: Steps for Effective Competitor Analysis
1. Identify Your Actual Competitors
Start by classifying your competitors into:
- Direct competitors: Offer the same product or service to the same target audience
- Indirect competitors: Offer alternative solutions that could become a threat over time
Example: A food delivery company like Carriage is a direct competitor to Talabat, while a supermarket selling ready-to-eat meals is an indirect competitor.
2. Gather Information from Open Sources
Key sources of data include:
- Competitor websites
- Their social media accounts
- Advertising campaigns
- Customer reviews on Google and Facebook
- Market reports from Jordanian chambers of commerce or local research bodies
These sources provide a clear picture of pricing strategies, customer communication styles, promotional activities, and overall brand perception.
3. Perform SWOT Analysis on Competitors
Conducting a SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) for each competitor helps you craft a strategy that targets their weaknesses while avoiding direct confrontation with their strengths.
Example: If a competitor has a strong digital marketing presence, your edge could be in offline experiences or superior customer service.
4. Monitor Their Marketing and Advertising Activities
Analyzing competitor marketing content reveals a lot. Observe:
- Type of messaging (emotional, practical, entertaining)
- Channels used (Facebook, Instagram, Google Ads)
- Campaign frequency
- Discounts and promotional offers
This helps you understand how competitors engage their audiences, allowing you to craft smarter marketing strategies.
5. Analyze User Experience and Customer Service
By trying your competitors’ services (ordering a product, contacting customer service, observing response times), you can assess:
- Service quality
- Speed of support
- Professionalism
These insights help you enhance your internal performance and avoid their mistakes.
6. Use Digital Analysis Tools
There are both free and paid tools to help analyze competitors:
- SimilarWeb: For analyzing competitor website traffic
- SEMrush / Ahrefs: For SEO and keyword performance
- Social Blade: For social media performance tracking
- Google Trends: To understand search interest in competitor products/services
These tools provide accurate data to support marketing decisions.
Fourth: How to Use Analysis Results to Build Effective Strategies
After gathering and analyzing all the data, the most important step begins—building a realistic marketing strategy based on a deep understanding of the market and competition.
1. Clearly Define Your Competitive Advantage
Based on competitor weaknesses, highlight your unique advantage in every marketing campaign—whether it’s price, quality, delivery speed, customer support, or innovation.
2. Focus Precisely on Your Target Market
One common mistake is targeting too broad an audience. Competitor analysis helps you narrow down your audience and create focused, effective campaigns.
3. Leverage Market Gaps
If you notice competitors are not utilizing a certain platform (e.g., TikTok) or ignoring specific content types (e.g., short videos), capitalize on that gap and build a strong presence.
4. Continuously Improve Your Offers
Watch what offers competitors are making and ensure yours are more appealing or valuable. Repeating the same deals without innovation can make your brand seem dull while others evolve.
5. Enhance User Experience Through Comparison
If a competitor offers a user-friendly app, make yours even better. If their customer service is slow, make speed your key differentiator.
Fifth: Key Indicators to Monitor Continuously
- Changes in competitor pricing
- Customer feedback about competitors (both positive and negative)
- Updates to competitor websites or services
- Entry of new competitors into the market
- Emerging market trends that could impact your strategy
Sixth: Jordan-Specific Market Insights
- Heavy reliance on Facebook and WhatsApp for marketing.
- Jordanian consumers are price- and deal-sensitive.
- Reputation and trust are vital, especially in local and family-run businesses.
- Rapid growth in e-commerce and express delivery services.
Seventh: Sector-Specific Competitive Analysis in Jordan
Competitor analysis methods may vary by industry. For example:
- In the restaurant sector, sensory experience and customer service are crucial.
- In tech, speed of development and innovation matter more.
So it’s essential to customize your analysis tools and methods based on your market type.
Example: A startup in app development should focus on user reviews on app stores, while a clothing store might analyze Instagram engagement and influencer marketing.
Eighth: Building a Dedicated Market Analysis Team
Companies that take market research seriously build specialized teams to monitor competitors and analyze marketing data continuously.
Having an in-house team—or outsourcing to a specialist agency—can provide faster, more accurate insights, and help you respond quickly to market changes. This should be seen as a strategic investment, not just an added expense.
Competitor analysis is not just a step in your business plan—it’s an ongoing process that ensures your brand stays ahead. In the fast-changing Jordanian market, where competition is fierce, companies must rely on real tools, accurate data, and flexible marketing visions grounded in what’s happening around them.
By studying the market consistently and using your findings to design precise marketing strategies, you can improve performance, outsmart competitors, and build a sustainable competitive advantage.
