Start with a short list, not a browser full of tabs. Choose three to five businesses that serve a similar customer, offer a comparable product or service, or appear in the same search results. A local family photographer, for example, can learn from other photographers, but also from a nearby studio that makes booking unusually easy. The point is not to copy anyone’s website. It is to spot the choices that make visitors feel more certain about what to do next.
For small family-focused businesses, this research is especially useful. Parents may be looking at a website between school pickup, dinner, and someone asking where the blue dinosaur cup went. They want quick reassurance: what is on offer, whether it suits their situation, what it costs or how to ask, and what happens next.
Choose competitors with a purpose
A “competitor” does not have to be a business you dislike, or a huge brand with a team devoted to every button. Include a mix of direct and indirect examples.
- Direct competitors: businesses selling the same or a very similar service in the same area or online niche.
- Search competitors: websites that appear when someone searches for phrases your potential customers may use.
- Experience competitors: businesses outside your field that make a similar task easier, such as booking, choosing a gift, uploading photos, or understanding options.
A maker of personalised board books might look at other keepsake products, children’s photographers, and gift services with a calm, straightforward ordering process. Each can reveal a different part of the customer experience.
Research one visitor task at a time
Browsing without a question usually produces vague notes: “Nice colours,” “Looks professional,” or the classic, “Their logo is bigger.” Give yourself a realistic task instead, then follow it through. Try to act like a tired but interested customer, not a website critic.
Useful tasks to test
- Find out what the business offers in under a minute.
- Check whether it serves your location, child’s age group, or specific need.
- Estimate the price or understand how pricing works.
- Find an answer to a practical concern, such as delivery time, cancellation, materials, accessibility, or session length.
- Start an enquiry, booking, or purchase without submitting private information.
Make a note of where you hesitate. Did the homepage point you somewhere useful? Did the labels make sense? Did you have to hunt for basic details? A competitor’s site is often most revealing at the point where you are tempted to leave.
Use a simple comparison sheet
A spreadsheet, notebook, or shared document will do. Use the same categories for every site so patterns are easier to spot. Avoid a quick “good” or “bad” score: something that works for one audience may be a poor fit for another.
| Area | What to record | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Homepage message | Who it is for, what it offers, and what action appears first | Shows whether visitors can orient themselves quickly |
| Navigation | Menu labels, number of choices, and pages that are easy to find | Reveals how the business groups customer questions |
| Trust signals | Reviews, policies, real examples, credentials, team details | Highlights what reduces perceived risk |
| Product or service detail | Photos, specifications, process, availability, and limitations | Shows what information supports a decision |
| Next step | Booking, checkout, enquiry, response expectations | Helps identify friction before commitment |
| Mobile experience | Text size, menus, forms, buttons, and page speed on a phone | Reflects how many busy visitors will actually browse |
Save screenshots only when they support a specific observation. Label them clearly, for example: “pricing page explains turnaround before asking for contact details.” Screenshots should support your notes, not become a scrapbook of designs to imitate.
Look for clarity before cleverness
Competitor research can tempt you into chasing visual trends: looping videos, oversized headings, clever labels, floating badges, and enough animation to make a toddler wonder whether the page has broken. Design matters, but clear communication usually matters first.
On each website, check these details:
- Can a first-time visitor tell what is being sold?
- Are important terms explained in everyday language?
- Do photos support the information rather than hide it?
- Are key restrictions stated plainly?
- Does the site explain what happens after an order or enquiry?
If a competitor answers practical questions well, study the structure rather than the wording. Notice whether they begin with the outcome, use short sections, show dimensions, explain materials, or place common worries close to the buying decision. Our guide to writing product descriptions parents can actually use offers a useful framework for turning those observations into original copy.
Check the site on a phone
Desktop research can hide the problems that matter most. On a phone, test the menu, search function, forms, checkout or booking flow, image galleries, and contact details. Notice whether buttons are easy to tap and whether the keyboard covers form fields. A polished desktop homepage does not mean the rest of the site works well on a smaller screen; the practical reasons are covered in why mobile-friendly design matters for family websites.
Separate observations from assumptions
“Their enquiry form has only four fields” is an observation. “They get more leads because the form is short” is an assumption. Both can be useful, but they belong in different columns.
A website may perform well for reasons you cannot see: repeat customers, referrals, advertising, a well-known founder, or a particular local market.
When making notes, use language such as:
- “This may reduce effort for a first-time visitor.”
- “I could not find delivery information without searching.”
- “The page gives reassurance by showing the process in three steps.”
- “This approach may not suit our pricing model or capacity.”
That small distinction helps you avoid treating another business’s public website as a full explanation of its results.
Turn findings into small, original tests
Do not rebuild your whole site because three competitors use the same layout. Pick one repeated issue that connects to a real customer need, then make a change that suits your own voice, offer, and available time.
After reviewing five sites, a family photographer might notice that parents want to know what happens if a child is shy or unwell on the day. Instead of copying a competitor’s FAQ, they could write an honest section about their own rescheduling policy, pace, and preparation tips. A photo-book maker may find that material details are scattered across several pages, then add one concise product section covering sturdy board pages, personalisation steps, and delivery timing.
Write the test in one sentence: “Add turnaround time and proofing steps near the enquiry form for four weeks.” Then note a baseline, such as how often customers currently ask that question by email, and check the same measure later. The most helpful final note in a competitor worksheet is not “copy this.” It is “test this specific answer to a question customers already ask.”