Displaying “Alternative to” competitors is good for business

Many people are afraid to say to their users who their competitors are, but if you do it and do it right, you can convert users that would choose your competition if they are undecided.

You don’t need to send the users a message telling them who your competitors are. Still, you can create pages on your website where you show the advantages of using your business vs. your competitors (remember that you control your website content, so you can write whatever you want that will gain the visitor trust).

Keep in mind that you, as the business owner, know very well your competitors, their strengths, and weaknesses, but the average user is not focused as much as you to know all of this. They will believe what they read.

Visitors arriving at those pages want exactly that, to see the differences, the advantages of using your software.

Be sure to include what features you have that your competitors do not write in your own words, what do you do better, compare the price, and if it’s higher, explain why. Make a list of Pros and Cons to be easier to read, add a few screenshots, and maybe 3rd party review sites if your score is higher.

Your page should always end with a call to action so the visitor can register to your website or subscribe to a newsletter so they can enter your onboarding funnel.

Benefits for displaying your competitors

A lot of people are searching on Google for alternatives: “alternative to“ or “vs.” or “compare.” They are either unhappy with their current solution or want to see if there is a cheaper solution or just undecided.

Those users are either unhappy with their current solution or want to see if there is a cheaper solution or just undecided.

Websites like Alternative To and G2 Crowd rely on people searching for these keywords.

Make sure you create a page on your business website so you may rank in front of Google, so visitors arrive on your site.

Examples of websites that display their competitors

Chargebee comparing to Chargify and others

1. Address the pain point of the visitor in the first paragraph: “Looking for a Chargify alternative?“
2. 3rd party reviews from G2 Crowd
3. Feature comparison
4. Clients testimonials that say why did they switch to Chargebee (very smart).
5. Other clients highlight
6. Links in the footer with the competition (benefiting a lot for search engine traffic).

Other good examples of businesses showcasing their competitors on their website (in a smart way).

Drift as Intercom alternative – they rank #4 on Google on keyword “intercom alternative,” in front of AlternativeTo.net

Chatra as Drift alternative – ranking #2 on Google for “drift alternative” (probably until Intercom decides to create a page to showcase the alternative of Drift). They have a nice image in the header.

Intercom as alternative to Zendesk for Customer Support – intercom is also targeting the market, adding “customer support” (Zendesk Alternative for Customer Support | Intercom) or “live chat” (Olark Alternative for Live Chat | Intercom)