Competitive analysis

Competitive Analysis - Google Intelligence Framework

Purpose: Analyze competitor websites to extract features, user flows, and actionable insights for product development

Agent: Google Competitive Analyst Use When: Client requests "build like X.com" or references existing website

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Overview

This skill provides systematic approaches to analyze competitor websites and extract knowledge that directly informs product requirements, design, and development.

Core Philosophy:

• Understand before building
• Learn from successful products
• Extract patterns, not just copy
• Focus on user value
• Identify opportunities for differentiation

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Available Reference Guides

1. Site Analysis

File: references/site-analysis.md

Covers:

• Initial reconnaissance (homepage, structure, sections)
• User type identification (buyer, seller, admin, guest)
• Page inventory (list all page types)
• Site architecture mapping
• Screenshot methodology

When to Use: First step of any competitive analysis

Key Questions:

• What is the main purpose of this site?
• Who are the target users?
• What are the main sections/features?
• How is navigation organized?

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2. Feature Extraction

File: references/feature-extraction.md

Covers:

• Systematic feature discovery
• Feature categorization (Must/Should/Could have)
• Priority assessment framework
• Unique selling point identification
• Feature-to-business-value mapping

When to Use: After site reconnaissance

MoSCoW Prioritization:

• Must Have (60%): Features without which the product cannot function
• Should Have (20%): Important features that enhance experience
• Could Have (15%): Nice-to-have competitive advantages
• Won't Have (5%): Out of scope or future consideration

Example - E-commerce Site:

Must Have:
- Product catalog with search
- Shopping cart
- Checkout flow
- User accounts
- Order management

Should Have:
- Product reviews
- Wishlist
- Order tracking
- Multiple payment methods

Could Have:
- Live chat support
- Product recommendations
- Loyalty program
- Social sharing

Won't Have (defer to v2):
- Live streaming shopping
- AR product preview
- Seller marketplace

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3. User Journey Mapping

File: references/user-journey-mapping.md

Covers:

• Identifying key user journeys
• Step-by-step flow documentation
• Screenshot collection for each step
• Friction point identification
• Success metrics for each journey

When to Use: Understanding user flows for requirements

Key Journeys to Map:

1. New User Activation: Homepage → First value
2. Core Action: Main user action (buy, post, search, etc.)
3. Power User Flow: Advanced features
4. Account Management: Settings, preferences, profile

Journey Template:

## Journey: [Name]

**Goal**: [What user wants to achieve]
**Entry Point**: [Where journey starts]
**Success Metric**: [How to measure success]

### Steps:
1. [Action] → [Result]
   Screenshot: [filename]
   Notes: [observations]

2. [Action] → [Result]
   Screenshot: [filename]
   Notes: [observations]

[Continue for all steps]

### Friction Points:
- [Issue 1]: [Impact]
- [Issue 2]: [Impact]

### Improvements Opportunity:
- [Improvement 1]
- [Improvement 2]

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4. Tech Stack Detection

File: references/tech-detection.md

Covers:

• Frontend framework detection (React, Vue, Angular)
• Rendering strategy (SPA, SSR, SSG)
• API pattern identification (REST, GraphQL, gRPC)
• Performance metrics observation
• Mobile strategy (responsive, native app, PWA)

When to Use: Informing CTO's tech stack decision

Detection Methods:

• View Page Source: Look for framework signatures
• Network Tab: API endpoints, request patterns
• Performance Tab: Rendering strategy clues
• Console: Framework detection scripts
• Wappalyzer: Automated tech detection

Example Analysis:

Frontend:
- Framework: React 18 (detected: __REACT_DEVTOOLS_GLOBAL_HOOK__)
- Rendering: Server-Side Rendering (HTML in source)
- Styling: Tailwind CSS (utility classes)
- State: Likely Redux (predictable state container)

Backend (inferred):
- API: REST (endpoints like /api/products)
- Real-time: WebSocket (ws:// connections seen)
- CDN: CloudFlare (CF-Ray headers)

Performance:
- FCP: 1.2s (good)
- LCP: 2.3s (needs improvement)
- TTI: 3.1s (average)

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Quick Start

For Competitive Analyst (you):

# Step 1: Initial Analysis
Read: references/site-analysis.md
Visit: Target website
Map: Site structure
Screenshot: Key pages (homepage, main sections)

# Step 2: Feature Discovery
Read: references/feature-extraction.md
List: ALL features observed
Categorize: Must/Should/Could/Won't
Prioritize: Based on business value

# Step 3: User Journey Mapping
Read: references/user-journey-mapping.md
Identify: 3-5 key journeys
Map: Each journey step-by-step
Screenshot: Each step
Note: Friction points

# Step 4: Tech Analysis
Read: references/tech-detection.md
Inspect: Page source, network, performance
Detect: Framework, rendering, API patterns
Document: Tech stack observations

# Step 5: Generate Report
Synthesize: All findings
Create: Competitive analysis report
Save: To .project/requirements/competitive-analysis.md
Present: To CEO for decision-making

For Other Agents:

CEO: Review analysis report, decide on project scope CTO: Use tech recommendations for stack decision PM: Use feature list for timeline estimation BA: Convert features to user stories and requirements

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Example Analysis: Shopee.com

Site Type

E-commerce marketplace (C2C + B2C)

Must-Have Features

1. Product Catalog

   • Multi-category browse
   • Search with filters (price, rating, location)
   • Product recommendations

2. Shopping Cart

   • Add/remove items
   • Quantity adjustment
   • Apply vouchers
   • Calculate shipping

3. Checkout Flow

   • Address selection
   • Payment method (credit card, e-wallet, COD)
   • Order review
   • Confirmation

4. User Account

   • Registration/Login
   • Profile management
   • Order history
   • Wishlist

5. Seller Dashboard

   • Product listing
   • Inventory management
   • Order fulfillment
   • Analytics

Key User Journey: First Purchase

1. Land on homepage
   → See featured products, categories, search bar

2. Search for product
   → Enter "laptop" in search
   → See results with filters

3. Browse results
   → Filter by price, rating
   → Click on product

4. View product details
   → See images, specs, reviews
   → Choose variant (color, size)
   → Click "Add to Cart"

5. Review cart
   → See items, total price
   → Apply voucher (optional)
   → Proceed to checkout

6. Checkout
   → Select shipping address
   → Choose payment method
   → Confirm order

7. Order confirmation
   → See order number
   → Receive email confirmation
   → Can track order

Friction Points:
- Too many steps (7 steps to checkout)
- Voucher application not obvious
- Payment methods scattered

Opportunities:
- Guest checkout (no signup required)
- Saved payment methods
- One-click purchase for returning users

Tech Stack (Estimated)

Frontend: React SPA with SSR Mobile: Native apps (iOS/Android) Backend: Microservices (product, cart, order, payment, user) Database: PostgreSQL + Redis (caching) CDN: Global content delivery Real-time: WebSocket (chat, notifications)

Recommended MVP (8 weeks)

Phase 1 (Week 1-4):

• Product catalog + search
• Shopping cart
• User authentication
• Basic checkout

Phase 2 (Week 5-6):

• Payment integration
• Order management
• Basic seller dashboard

Phase 3 (Week 7-8):

• Reviews & ratings
• Order tracking
• Polish & testing

Defer to v2:

• Voucher system
• Live chat
• Flash sales
• Mobile apps

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Analysis Templates

Feature Matrix Template

| Feature | Shopee | Lazada | Tokopedia | Priority | Notes |
|---------|--------|--------|-----------|----------|-------|
| Product Search | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Must | Basic requirement |
| Shopping Cart | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Must | Core e-commerce |
| Live Chat | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | Should | Customer support |
| Flash Sales | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | Could | Competitive edge |

Competitive Positioning

## Market Position

**Shopee**:
- Strength: Gamification, free shipping, social features
- Weakness: Product quality inconsistent
- Target: Mass market, price-conscious

**Our Opportunity**:
- Focus on quality verification
- Premium experience
- Better seller vetting

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Integration with /work Workflow

CEO Detection Phase

When CEO receives: /work làm e-commerce giống shopee.com

CEO Action:

1. Parse request: Detect "giống shopee.com"
2. Extract reference: "shopee.com"
3. Call Competitive Analyst: "Analyze shopee.com"
4. Wait for analysis report
5. Use report to inform CTO/PM/BA

BA Requirements Phase

BA receives competitive analysis report:

1. Read feature list
2. Convert to user stories:

   Feature: "Shopping Cart"
   ↓
   User Story:
   "As a shopper, I want to add products to cart
    so that I can review before checkout"
   ↓
   Acceptance Criteria:
   - Can add items to cart
   - Can adjust quantity
   - Can remove items
   - Can see total price
   - Can apply vouchers
   

CTO Tech Decision Phase

CTO receives tech stack recommendations:

1. Review detected tech stack
2. Consider scale requirements
3. Make informed decision based on proven patterns

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Success Metrics

Analysis Quality:

• Completeness: All major features identified (95%+)
• Accuracy: Tech stack detection verified
• Actionability: Clear MVP recommendations

Time Efficiency:

• Small site (<10 pages): <30 minutes
• Medium site (<50 pages): <1 hour
• Large site (>50 pages): <2 hours

Impact:

• Requirements clarity: 80% of user stories from analysis
• Time saved: 50% reduction in requirements gathering
• Accuracy: 90% feature parity with reference site (for MVP)

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Remember

🔍 Analyze comprehensively - Don't miss hidden features

📊 Prioritize ruthlessly - Not all features are equal

🎯 Focus on user value - Understand WHY features exist

💡 Find opportunities - What can we do better?

📝 Document everything - Screenshots, flows, insights

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For detailed procedures, read the reference guides in references/ folder

Created: 2026-02-04 Maintained By: Google Competitive Analyst Review Cycle: After each competitive analysis