Build a Competitive analysis in Notion: Step by step guide

Any business, whether you are a solopreneur or a multi-million corporation, has to know its competitors. Let's build a tool in Notion to manage knowledge about your competitors.

20 Sept 2024

Notion

11 mins

Competitive Analysis template in Notion by Lucas Ostrowski. Features Apple competitor profile with SWOT analysis, categories, and key details. Showcases efficient market research setup using Notion's dark mode. Part of The Hitchhiker's Guide to Automated Systems, demonstrating no-code business intelligence tools.
Competitive Analysis template in Notion by Lucas Ostrowski. Features Apple competitor profile with SWOT analysis, categories, and key details. Showcases efficient market research setup using Notion's dark mode. Part of The Hitchhiker's Guide to Automated Systems, demonstrating no-code business intelligence tools.
Competitive Analysis template in Notion by Lucas Ostrowski. Features Apple competitor profile with SWOT analysis, categories, and key details. Showcases efficient market research setup using Notion's dark mode. Part of The Hitchhiker's Guide to Automated Systems, demonstrating no-code business intelligence tools.

Why Do You Need Market Competitive Analysis?

Competition analysis is a tactic that businesses use to build awareness of their market. However, while extracting rival companies' secret recipes might seem like "spying" or even illegal, it's much beyond that.

Having data on your competition can help you and your business on various levels. Here are some outcomes you can generate:

  • Understand the market situation and how your company can fit there.

  • Identify strengths and weaknesses, especially when comparing your business with its competitors.

  • Build an understanding of current industry trends.

  • Generate ideas for new tactics and strategies for your company.

Notion Competitive Analysis Template

Get this template for FREE - Competitive Analysis Notion Template

Notion is a versatile productivity tool that allows users to write, plan and turn their ideas into action. It's also an excellent tool for building your Competition Analysis database. To set up the Competition Analysis system in Notion, follow the steps outlined below.

A dark-themed header of a Notion page titled "Competitive Analysis". Below the title are two database properties: "Competitors" represented by a people icon, and "Products" represented by a lock icon.

First things first. Create a new page in Notion and add two databases: Competitors and Products.

Competitors Database

A dark-themed Notion database view titled "Competitor". The table has columns for Name, Categories, Relevance (shown as lightbulb icons), Website, X Profile, Products, Created by, and Created time.

Field type in square brackets [].

The database should have the following properties:

  • Name [Title]

  • Logo / Branding [Files & media]

  • Categories [Multi-select]

  • Website [URL]

  • Relevance [Select], with options:

    • 💡

    • 💡💡

    • 💡💡💡

  • Summary [Text]

  • X profile [URL]

  • LinkedIn profile [URL]

  • Instagram profile [URL]

  • Facebook profile [URL]

  • TikTok profile [URL]

  • Primary Target Audience [Text]

  • Secondary Target Audience [Text]

  • Products [Relation to Products Database]

    • Select Show on Products

  • Created by [Created by]

  • Created time [Created time]

Products Database

A dark-themed Notion database view titled "Products". The table has columns for Product, Competitor, Categories, Feature list, Thumbnail, Website listing, Gumroad listing, Price, Created time, and Created by.

Products should have the following properties

  • Product [Title]

  • Competitor [Relation to Competitors Database]

  • Categories [Multi-select]

  • Feature List [Text]

  • Thumbnail [Files & media]

  • Website listing [URL]

  • Gumroad listing [URL]

  • Price [Number]

  • Created by [Created by]

  • Created time [Created time]

New Competitor default template

SWOT

Each Competitor should include two additional elements:

  1. SWOT Analysis

  2. Its products list

We'll use a default template to achieve this.

A dark-themed Notion interface showing a dropdown menu for "Templates for Competitors". The menu displays two options: "New Competitor" (marked as DEFAULT) and "Empty". At the bottom, there's a blue "New template" option. In the top-right corner, a blue "New" button is visible with a dropdown arrow. Two red arrows point to the "New" button and the "New template" option.

Open Competitors database and click on the arrow down next to the "New" button. And then click on "+ New template".

Call it a "New Competitor".

Go to page content and add columns component using /2 columns command.

Create two callouts in each column - use /Callout command.

Call it:

  • First column: Strengths & Opportunities

  • Second column: Weaknesses & Threads

A dark-themed Notion context menu showing various actions. The menu includes options like "Comment", "Suggest", "Ask AI", "Delete", "Duplicate", "Turn into", "Copy link to block", "Move to", "Icon", and "Color". Each option has its corresponding keyboard shortcut listed. There's a search bar at the top labeled "Search actions...". Two red arrows point to the "Icon" option and a three-dot menu on the right side.

Then, give each callout an icon and change its colour. You can do it by clicking on the six dots visible when you hover over the callout, and then from the menu, use Icon and Color.

Finally, start a new list in each callout, and you should finish with a nice-looking SWOT matrix.

SWOT analysis template in Notion, showcasing Lucas Ostrowski's system for competitive analysis. Features color-coded sections for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. Illustrates efficient business strategy planning using no-code tools.

Products Table

Below the SWOT table, add a link to Products - use /Linked view of database. Then select Products database from the menu that will appear.

You can hide Competitor column - click on it and click on Hide in view.

We want to see only products for a given competitor. Using the template makes this easy to achieve. Click on "Filter" select Competitor and then New Competitor(the name of the template). It will make any new competitor page filter the product database by a given competitor.

Set Default Template

The template is ready, and you can close it now. The final step is to set it as the default template so it'll apply to any new competitor page.

Again, click on the arrow next to the New button and then on three dots () next to "New Competitor".

Notion template selection for competitor analysis in Lucas Ostrowski's automation guide. Shows 'New Competitor' as default template and 'New' button, highlighting efficient setup for business intelligence. Part of The Hitchhiker's Guide to Automated Systems, demonstrating no-code productivity tools.

Finally, select Set as default and For all views in "Customers".

Our Competitors' page template is ready.

Connect all dots - finish the main view

Go to the main page - the one you created at the beginning.

In the page content, add a linked view to your Competitors database:

  • Use /Linked view of database command

  • Select Competitors database from the menu

  • Use + New table view

  • And choose Galery

Notion's 'New view' settings panel for the Competitive Analysis template, showcasing various view options including Table, Board, Timeline, and Gallery. The Gallery view is selected, with customizable settings for card preview, size, and properties display. Demonstrates the template's flexibility in data visualization for effective competitor tracking.

Let's make it look better now. While the "New view" menu is still open, deselect Show database title. Change Card preview to Logo / Branding option and finally click Done.

Competitive Analysis Notion template displaying detailed Apple competitor profile in dark mode. Features include company summary, target audience, relevance rating, and a color-coded SWOT analysis. The left sidebar shows Lucas Ostrowski's workspace structure, highlighting the template's integration into a comprehensive business management system. Demonstrates the template's depth of analysis and user-friendly interface for effective market intelligence gathering

And that's all. Our job is done here. You can start adding your competitors.

Conclusion

Mastering competitive analysis is crucial for business success. This Notion template streamlines the process, making gathering, organising, and acting on market intelligence easier. Following this guide, you've set up a powerful tool for tracking competitors, analyzing market trends, and identifying opportunities. Remember, the key to practical competitive analysis is consistent updates and strategic interpretation of the data. Keep your template current, and let it guide your business decisions. With this system, you can stay ahead in your market and drive your business forward.


Get this template for FREE - Competitive Analysis Notion Template

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Notion Keyboard shortcuts & commands template by Lucas Ostrowski: Dark mode interface showcasing comprehensive shortcut grid for Mac and Windows. Features categorized commands like "Create New Page" and "Toggle Light/Dark Modes". Enhances Notion workflow efficiency across platforms. Made for Notion badge included.

Best of Templates & Blueprints

Notion Kanban Board template displayed on laptop and tablet, showcasing customizable task management columns and instructions for efficient project management and workflow organization.
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