In the cutthroat world of business, you have to identify your top competitors so that you can modify your business strategies accordingly and to survive the competition. For the success of your business, you have to know your competitors. This is because you will develop a solid business plan if you know your competitors
Ways to identify your top competitors in business
Social media
Today businesses use social media to get into contact with their customers. Most businesses have taken social media marketing seriously because today almost everyone is on one social media network or the other. You can thus get a lot of information on social media on your competitors. Social media can easily identifying customer behavior by viewing sites with most visits. Besides you will get other companies advertising similar products to yours.
Listen to what people say
People often give an honest opinion on the progress of the businesses that serve their interests. Take time to listen to them and where possible, interview them on their satisfaction with your business. They are likely to tell you that another business serves them better than you, and you are way above another one. This way, you will know where you lie regarding customer satisfaction, and you will identify your top competitors. It is important to create the best atmosphere for a conversation so that the respondent will answer your questions freely.
Trade fairs, shows, and exhibitions
Whenever there are conferences, trade fairs, shows, and exhibitions, make sure that you attend and mingle with other players in the industry. This gives you an idea of how far other firms in your line of business have gone, since they showcase products during these events.
Current trends
It is important to know how consumer behavior is changing with time, especially for dynamic industries.If you trade in building materials and realize customers prefer metallic to wooden materials, then you know what to do. Also mobile phones did phase out landline completely. Identifying the changing customer needs helps you identify top competitors. You will be able to move with competitors and not get phased out.
Go online
There are several 
tools online that can help you identify businesses offering same services and products like you. Look for comparison websites and see which businesses are thriving. There are websites that will give you the full list of competitors.
Competition is normal in business. Identifying the competitors is important to help you know the areas you need to improve in the business. Take these points into consideration to identify your top competitors.