Do you spend time on your competitor's sites?

[lludawg]

I own a blog dedicated to a certain girl group and I have found myself spending lots of time on other blogs about the same group! My excuse is that I am following their every move but I am actually enjoying a lot of their content. I wonder if they follow my blog too haha! How about you?

 

[Tolkin]

Sometimes I do. But usually, I do not reveal my website, nor myself. If I did, then they would probably ban me. So I always remain anonymous when i'm in my competitor's site. I enjoy their content and community, but at the same time I learn from what they do, so I can apply that to my website.

 

[Sam1]

Not particularly. I do spend some time seeing what other hosts are doing but I usually look at their forum profiles rather than their actual website.

 

[wasi90lk]

I think it is better to better yourself instead of worrying what others are doing. It is fine to scout the websites of your competitors as long as you don't overdo it.

 

[milksheikh]

I sometimes may take a few peeks at the sites.

Other than that, I don't stalk them the whole day xD

 

[wasi90lk]

@milksheikh

Exactly! It is kind of pointless to stalk your competitors the whole day, as we all must have better things to do. Rather than worrying what your competitors are doing, you can always worry about your own site.

 

[iPhonefreak]

I check in on my competitors every once and a while, but not often! I don't want to give them the traffic.

 

[Alexis]

The recommended way to conduct business right now is to keep an eye on your competitor; so, yes, i spend time on competitor website learning from their success and fails. Don't you?

 

[wasi90lk]

The recommended way to conduct business right now is to keep an eye on your competitor; so, yes, i spend time on competitor website learning from their success and fails. Don't you?

Yes, you have to keep an eye on your competitor, but there is a line that you must not cross. Sometimes people get quite desperate when they are spying on competitors.

 

[Alexis]

Yes, you have to keep an eye on your competitor, but there is a line that you must not cross. Sometimes people get quite desperate when they are spying on competitors.

The best way is to schedule what you are doing on your competitor site. The solution is not to become their fan, but to learn from them. You can use tools like buzzsumo to see their most shared content by example; then you check it out to see why it did well! So, like you said, it is wise to limit the time you spend learning from them!

 

[wasi90lk]

The best way is to schedule what you are doing on your competitor site. The solution is not to become their fan, but to learn from them. You can use tools like buzzsumo to see their most shared content by example; then you check it out to see why it did well! So, like you said, it is wise to limit the time you spend learning from them!

Yes, it is completely fine to learn from them. But some people actually try to hurt their competitors, which is terrible in my opinion.

 

[JohnSword]

I would visit such sites from time to time.

It's always good to learn from others. As such, I think it's important to check out your competition, so as to improve my own site.

 

[iPhonefreak]

I would visit such sites from time to time.

It's always good to learn from others. As such, I think it's important to check out your competition, so as to improve my own site.

But you must make sure you do not copy them! Copying them would not be pretty with you and the owner, and it would turn away members.

 

[Alexis]

Yes, it is completely fine to learn from them. But some people actually try to hurt their competitors, which is terrible in my opinion.

It is a very bad decision It is not something good first. Then, your competitor may be damaged by your attack but you may be the one who is destroyed by a bigger attack from your competitor! You must copy their tactic, not their style or their content! You must stay original to keep your customers!

 

[milksheikh]

You shouldn't try to hurt your competitors, even though I admit I have thought of doing it before xD

 

[Jordan]

Regarding blogs, I normally don't xD I have two main competitors for my blog and they are way above me in terms of traffic and revenue.

Regarding forums. OF course! Send some time on their forums, actually participate. Leave a link in your signature, or if your answering questions that your forum has, provide an answer and a link back to your thread on your board.

You would be surprised at how much can help your own forum help.

 

[Roach]

You would be surprised at how much can help your own forum help.

:deathlyill: My head hurts trying to read that, haha.

I personally do look over forums/blogs in the same topic as me in order to find ways I can improve as well as engage with like minded people and hopefully draw them in to my site eventually.

 

[Martee]

I always check out my competition, it helps me to see what they're doing better than me (and without copying them) helps me figure out what I can do better. Plus, it's always nice to network and connect with people in the same area as yourself, I've met some great people that way.

 

[Alexis]

That's a great idea, Martee! Partnering with your competitor; but it is a little bit tricky! If you are really competitor for products that give the same services, it is really hard to be frankly connect with them to help each others; but, you can still learn one from each other with professional meeting!

 

[Shortie]

I will admit that I have done this and I still do it I feel it helps you to see what they are doing better than you and helps you to find a way to better yourself without being a copy cat. I have had a few forums who have done the whole copy cat thing to me and copied everything I have done so it's not really nice to do it to others. the way to do it is to be more unique than your competition and if checking out what they do gives you some different ideas then why not?