Last week, a entrepreneur lamented that his platform strategy was burning through massive amounts of riyals with disappointing return. After examining his strategy, I pinpointed numerous critical errors that are remarkably frequent among Saudi businesses.

Our studies has revealed that Saudi customers especially trust these credibility indicators:

• Physical presence address
• Local authorization badges
• Detailed refund procedures
• SAR rates with full shipping calculations

Recently, my friend's web-based business was barely surviving in search results even with providing outstanding products. After executing the techniques I'm about to describe, his organic traffic increased by over one hundred fifty percent in just two months.

A fashion retailer achieved a 93% improvement in handheld purchases after applying these enhancements:

• Simplified data entry
• Thumb-friendly navigation
• Simplified purchase experience
• Improved speed periods

Working with an gadget shop, we found that their standard checkout process was generating needless difficulties for Saudi visitors. After implementing tailored enhancements, their purchase cancellation frequency decreased by 37%.

During a marketing workshop in Al Khobar last month, I was astonished when a business owner told me he was paying 5000 SAR monthly to his "digital expert" who turned out to be a college student running campaigns from his bedroom! No judgment on hustling students, but formal training and education matter enormously in this field.

Last month, a company director questioned me why his blog posts weren't creating any inquiries. After analyzing his content marketing strategy, I identified he was making the same mistakes I see numerous Saudi businesses commit.

A few months ago, an web retailer was struggling with a poor 0.8% purchase ratio despite high visitors. After executing the techniques I'm about to reveal, their sales percentage increased to 3.7%, resulting in a three hundred sixty-two percent growth in sales.

Start by listing ALL your competitors – not just the obvious ones. During our analysis, we identified that our most significant rival wasn't the famous business we were watching, but a new company with an novel strategy.

Critical changes included:

• Adding preferred Saudi transaction options like local services
• Reducing address entry for Saudi locations
• Offering Arabic localization throughout the purchase experience
• Presenting shipping schedules tailored to Saudi locations

I advise categorizing competitors as:

• Primary competitors (offering equivalent offerings)
• Peripheral competitors (with partial resemblance)
• Emerging disruptors (new businesses with innovative models)

I use a simple document to track our competition's pricing changes on a regular basis. This has allowed us to:

• Spot seasonal price reductions
• Notice package deal approaches
• Comprehend their value positioning

When evaluating online marketing options, don't be afraid to ask uncomfortable questions. I've learned to directly ask: "Can I speak to your unhappiest client?" The responses to this question tell you ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW about an agency's ethics.

• Team members with professional digital marketing credentials
• Dedicated departments (not one person doing everything)
• Proper project management systems
• Experience with Saudi regulations and compliance issues

When I established my e-commerce business three years ago, I was convinced that our special products would be enough. I dismissed competitive research as a waste of time – a choice that almost destroyed my entire company.

I presently utilize several resources that have significantly enhanced our competitive research:

• SEO tools to analyze competitors' keyword performance
• Brand monitoring software to monitor Competition Research Services's digital footprint
• Digital tracking tools to track changes to their digital properties
• Email capture to obtain their promotional messages

1. Clear reporting systems - My biggest annoyance with my previous agency was the smoke and mirrors around results. Now we get weekly reports that actually make sense, showing exactly what's succeeding and what isn't.

I invest at least 120 minutes each week examining our competitors':

• Online architecture and navigation
• Content strategy and posting schedule
• Social media presence
• Client testimonials and assessments
• Search strategy and positions

Not long ago, I observed as three similar businesses poured resources into developing their operations on a specific social media platform. Their initiatives were unsuccessful as the platform proved to be a mismatch for our industry.

Six months into business, our conversions were disappointing. It wasn't until I happened to a detailed analysis about our niche that I understood how oblivious I'd been to the business environment around us.

Recently, I was sitting in this fancy office in Riyadh (you know, one of those places with the transparent partitions and pretentious modern art), listening as an agency promised me the world. Six months and 50,000 SAR later, our traffic had increased by a mere... wait for it... 3%. Not exactly the return I was hoping for! ������‍♂️