You do not need expensive software to understand your competitors. Most of what matters is visible for free: what they say, what they charge, where they advertise, what customers say about them, and how fast they reply. This guide gives a one-afternoon method for Nepali businesses, plus a simple way to turn findings into decisions.

Step 1: List the right competitors

Write down five to eight names in three groups:

  • Direct competitors: selling the same product or service to the same customers.
  • Alternatives: different ways to solve the same problem. For a tuition centre, that includes YouTube lessons and private home tutors.
  • Search competitors: whoever appears on Google and Google Maps for your main searches, even if they are not obvious rivals.

Ask a few customers: “Who else did you consider before choosing us?” Their answers are often surprising.

Step 2: Search like a customer

  • Google search: search your top five services or products the way customers would, in English and in Nepali. Note who ranks, who runs ads, and what titles and descriptions say. See Nepali-language SEO.
  • Google Maps: search your category and area. Compare ratings, number of reviews, photos, categories, opening hours, and how owners reply to reviews. See the Google Business Profile guide.
  • Marketplaces: for products, check Daraz and other marketplaces for prices, ratings, and common complaints.

Step 3: Look at their ads

  • Meta Ad Library: search a competitor’s Page to see all the Facebook and Instagram ads they are running now, with start dates and creative. Ads that have run for a long time are probably working.
  • Google Ads Transparency Center: search their name or website to see Google ads from verified advertisers, filtered by country.

Note their offers, formats (video, carousel, image), calls to action, and landing pages. Do not copy creative; look for patterns and gaps.

Coin-operated tower viewer binoculars at a city lookout

Step 4: Review their website and social pages

Check What to note
Homepage message Who they target and the main promise
Prices Listed or hidden; packages; delivery charges; discounts
Proof Reviews, case studies, certifications, client logos
Contact options WhatsApp, phone, forms; how prominent
Speed on mobile Does it load quickly on mobile data?
Social pages Posting frequency, formats, engagement, how they handle comments

Use the engagement rate calculator to compare social pages on the same basis.

Step 5: Make a test enquiry

Send a normal enquiry by WhatsApp, Messenger, or phone, as a real customer would:

  • How fast did they reply?
  • Did they answer the question fully, including price and delivery?
  • Did they follow up?

Keep it light: one genuine enquiry, no fake bookings or orders that waste their time.

Step 6: Read what customers say

Reviews on Google, Facebook, and marketplaces are free customer research about your whole category. Note:

  • Repeated praise: what customers value most.
  • Repeated complaints: delivery delays, rude staff, hidden charges, poor quality. Each is an opportunity for you.
  • The words customers use, which you can use in your own messages.

See customer research for Nepali businesses for doing this with your own customers.

Step 7: Turn findings into decisions

Fill in a simple grid for each competitor: strengths, weaknesses, price level, main message, main channels. Then answer three questions:

  1. What do customers want that nobody does well? That is your opening.
  2. Where are we clearly better? Make that your main message. See positioning and value proposition.
  3. Where are we weaker in ways that cost sales? Fix the most important one first.

Hypothetical example: a Lalitpur bakery finds that competitors have more reviews but frequent complaints about late cake deliveries, and none show delivery time on their pages. It promises a delivery window, shows it on its site and ads, and asks happy customers for reviews.

Common mistakes

  • Copying competitors instead of finding a gap.
  • Only looking at the biggest brand, not the businesses customers actually compare you with.
  • Collecting information without making any decisions.
  • Competing on price alone because others do.
  • Checking competitors daily instead of improving your own service.

Key takeaways

  • List direct competitors, alternatives, and search competitors.
  • Use free tools: Google, Maps, Meta Ad Library, Google Ads Transparency Center, and marketplaces.
  • Check websites, social pages, prices, proof, and reply speed.
  • Mine competitor reviews for customer needs and complaints.
  • End with decisions: your gap, your main message, and your top weakness to fix.

How this fits the stack

Competitor research is the first section of the digital marketing strategy template for Nepal and part of digital marketing consulting.

Next step

Block one afternoon this month, list six competitors, and complete the seven steps. For an outside view of your market, scope work through hire packages or contact.