As strange as this may seem, your web host and your competitors actually have something in common. The thing they have in common is that they both have the capacity to help you meet and exceed your business goals. Your web hosting provider, of course, makes a conscious and dedicated effort to help you succeed. Your competitor, on thee other hand, inadvertently helps you tweak your marketing strategy every time you sign on to their web site and analyze it.

There is so much to be learned by analyzing competitors’ websites. And the nature of online business makes it easy to “spy” on your competitors. You can constantly compare their products and services to yours and make changes to keep your business ahead of the pack.

While it’s easy enough for you to find and visit your competitors’ sites, chances are you will find it difficult to look at them objectively. This is where your web hosting provider comes in. Many web hosting companies offer web site analysis that can help you see your site (and your competitors’ sites) from the customer’s point of view.

Ask your web hosting provider to help you study your competitors very closely, especially your top five to ten. These are some of the elements to consider:

1. Make sure that you have a complete and clear understanding of every product and service offered by your competitors.
2. Look for gaps and fill them
3. Be aware of how your competitors’ sites function. (If they are more user-friendly than your site you have some immediate work to do.)
4. What types of promotions do they offer?

Obviously, the most important thing you can do on your website reconnaissance mission is to develop a feel for your competitors’ strategy. Once you understand that, put a plan in place that will allow you to “beat” their business plan. (Clearly this is easier said than done but your web hosting provider can help you.)

Consider the elements that differentiate your site from the competition and make sure these are clearly communicated on your site. Is your shipping service better? Are you a mom and pop store that cheerfully offers personalized service?  What about your return policy? Consider using customer testimonials to convey your commitment to service excellence.

If you have a physical store, you might want to communicate the length of time it’s been around. If a customer sees that your brick and mortar store has been open for several years, whether your site is a week old or a year old may make little difference to them. The fact that you have been selling a particular line of products for a substantial length of time can give a new site instant credibility.

The savviest and most successful business executives have always embraced the concept of using the competition to make improvements. Consider these quotes:

• Competition is always a fantastic thing, and the computer industry is intensely competitive. Whether it’s Google of Apple or free software, we’ve got some fantastic competitors and it keeps us on our toes.  – Bill Gates
• If you know your strength it never becomes a weakness. If the market knows your strength, then it becomes a weakness.-  Shailendra Singh
• If you are attacking your market from multiple positions and your competition isn’t, you have all the advantage and it will show up in your increased success and income. – Jay Abraham
• In my business, I had three hundred competitors and I hated every one of them, but they made me better at what I did. -  Craig Benson

With a little help from your web hosting provider, you will come to view your competitors’ sites as extremely useful tools to boost your online business. The biblical concept of “love thine enemies” will take on a whole new dimension for you. In fact, when the information gleaned from your competitors transforms you into a billionaire, you might want to send them a nice thank-you note from your mansion in Tahiti.