# Losing business to competitors online? Here's how to close the gap Source: https://www.lucidmedia.co.nz/solutions/losing-to-competitors/ \+ Website problems They show up first on Google, their website looks more credible, and they have more reviews. We find exactly where they are ahead of you and build a plan to catch up where it counts. [Get your free audit](https://www.lucidmedia.co.nz/solutions/losing-to-competitors/#booking) [See the work](https://www.lucidmedia.co.nz/case-studies/) ## How to tell you have this problem - Competitors appear above you for the searches that matter most. - Prospects mention a competitor by name on sales calls. - Their Google Business Profile has more reviews and a higher rating. - Their website looks newer and makes it easier to ask for a quote. - Your leads are down on last year, even though demand hasn't dropped. ## What causes it They started earlier. A competitor who rebuilt their site and started on SEO a few years ago has had time to build rankings, links and reviews. A better website. Faster, clearer and easier to act on, especially on a phone. More reviews. A steady habit of asking every customer for a review builds up; one burst of reviews does not. Sharper targeting. A page for each service and area they cover, where you have one general page. Consistent marketing. Content, ads and social that keep running every month instead of in bursts. ## What it costs you Every customer who picks a competitor is revenue you don't see, and you rarely find out it happened. Nobody calls to tell you why they chose someone else. The gap also tends to widen on its own. Rankings bring enquiries, enquiries bring reviews and reviews help rankings, so a competitor who is ahead keeps pulling further ahead until you give people a reason to choose differently. ## How we fix it 1. Step 1 ### Benchmark you against them We compare rankings, site speed, content, reviews and ads for you and your top competitors through a [competitive analysis](https://www.lucidmedia.co.nz/services/digital-strategy/competitive-analysis/). 2. Step 2 ### Pick the fights you can win Not every keyword is worth chasing. We find the services, areas and searches where you can realistically pass them, and start there. 3. Step 3 ### Close the website and search gaps That might mean a [website redesign](https://www.lucidmedia.co.nz/services/web-design/), [SEO](https://www.lucidmedia.co.nz/services/search-engine-optimisation/), or [conversion work](https://www.lucidmedia.co.nz/services/conversion-rate-optimisation/) on the pages that already get traffic. 4. Step 4 ### Keep it going every month A [digital strategy](https://www.lucidmedia.co.nz/services/digital-strategy/) with a monthly rhythm for content, reviews and reporting, so progress doesn't stop after launch. ## What you can check yourself 1. 1. Search for your top three services in a private browser window and note who ranks above you. 2. 2. Read your competitors' Google reviews. What their customers praise tells you what the market values. 3. 3. Look up their Google Ads in the Google Ads Transparency Center to see what they are promoting. 4. 4. Compare your Google Business Profile with theirs: photos, categories, services and posts. 5. 5. Find one thing they do badly, such as slow replies or no pricing guidance, and do it well. \+ Case studies ## Real results Projects where we took on the same kind of problem. Each one links to the full case study. Finance ### [Fundmaster: 13x monthly organic traffic](https://www.lucidmedia.co.nz/case-studies/fundmaster/) Now outranking national brokers for local mortgage searches 13x Monthly Traffic Read case study → E-commerce · New Zealand ### [TSB Living: 298% organic traffic growth](https://www.lucidmedia.co.nz/case-studies/tsb-living-seo/) Now competing for the same searches as Kmart and Briscoes +298% Organic Traffic Read case study → Logistics · New Zealand ### [GetATaxi: 643% organic traffic growth](https://www.lucidmedia.co.nz/case-studies/getataxi/) Now ranking alongside the big rideshare names for airport transfers +643% Organic Traffic Read case study → Trades & Services · New Zealand ### [JunkBoss: 182% more search visibility](https://www.lucidmedia.co.nz/case-studies/junkboss/) Now showing up first when Bay of Plenty locals search +182% more search visibility Read case study → [See all case studies](https://www.lucidmedia.co.nz/case-studies/) ## What our clients say Real reviews from the businesses we have built, ranked and run campaigns for. 5.0 from 70+ reviews > “Our CPA dropped by 66% and lead quality increased 200-300%. Not only almost immediately, but consistent for the last few months.” Paul Zellman BDM, Austar Property Services Jaide Wooler Executive Assistant, Tom Rawson > We’ve been working with Jason from Lucid Media and couldn’t recommend him more. He’s been a fast communicator, proactive, and always willing to help. Jason goes above and beyond with providing recommendations and support. > > The websites he’s built and implemented for us have been excellent. He has captured our business perfectly and ensured that it is user friendly on both desktop/mobile. Fantastic service! Google review Terry Bradley Director, Precision Building Inspectors > Jason and his team have been fantastic to work with from the initial website design and with the ongoing maintenance. They built us a really professional and well-designed site that represents our business well and it has been great having their continued support. > > It is nice to know someone reliable can manage our website and make sure it stays ranking on Google. They are always responsive when we need updates or changes made, and their technical expertise gives us peace of mind. Google review > “I’ve had around 10 websites developed over the years, and Jason is by far the best web developer I’ve ever worked with.” Andrew Baker Owner, Electrical Plus Mitch Taylor Director, Horton Taylor > I have been working with Jason for a year now and he is absolutely brilliant, honest and reliable. His client first approach has meant his work is always on time and to a high standard. > > Most of all he actually gets the results he says he will. Google review Grace Zhang Sunshine Mortgages > Communication with him is always smooth and effortless. The website he created for me exceeded my expectations in every way. I’m genuinely impressed with both the design and the overall structure. > > I’m looking forward to seeing what else the website can bring to me. If you’re thinking about building a website, Jason is definitely the person to go to. Google review > “Absolutely great in delivering our e-commerce website. A great experience from start to finish, and even beyond.” Harry & Maria Owner, Pots of Joy Samir Khanna Director, Professional Financial > Working with Jason @ Lucid Media on our website was a great experience from start to finish. Jason brought our vision to life with creativity and professionalism; he understood what we were after, and this could be seen in the result. > > The design is clean and modern, and the functionality is exactly what we needed. Communication was smooth throughout the entire process, and deadlines were always met. Highly recommend to anyone looking for top-tier web design and development. Google review Alex Mayo Owner, Playceholdr > I had Lucid Media do some SEO work for us and I'm super impressed with the results. Jason also took the time to educate me deeply on the topic so I didn't feel like everything was smoke and mirrors like I have had with previous agencies. Google review Britta Friedrich Manager, MagicGerman > Working with Lucid Media was an excellent experience from start to finish. They took the time to thoroughly analyse our previous website, understand our product, and align with our company goals before creating a new, professional layout and copy. > > They truly went above and beyond, exceeding expectations at every step. I genuinely enjoyed the collaboration and look forward to working with them again in the future. Google review Melitta Adam Founder, Melitta Skin > I had a call with Jason and was so impressed by how in-depth it was. He really listened, understood where I’m at, and gave me a clear action plan that I can actually use. > > It was practical, straightforward, and made me feel confident moving forward with my ads. I couldn’t recommend working with him enough. Google review > “We wanted to bring our idea for an app to life. He turned our ideas into reality.” Alana Saunders Business Manager, A T Realty Andrew Harvey Director, AES Comp > Lucid Media provides great service, quickly establishing and refining our website. They are always available to us when we need changes made. > > Expert in SEO which is critical, our company now ranks at the top of Google searches, alongside our international suppliers but ahead of other agents around the world. We totally recommend Lucid as a highly competent and committed website developer and manager. Google review Ratu Tau Trekway Shuttle > We had previously used another digital company for our website and digital marketing… things went downhill quickly, and our business suffered badly. > > Within 30 minutes, we were on a Teams meeting discussing the problems we were facing. By 2am, Jason had sent us a detailed report… By 4pm, our Google Ads were back up and running. > > Everything was turned around in less than 24 hours… seeing results that quickly was honestly incredible. > > Jason and the team at Lucid Media have helped get our business back on solid ground… Young, full of energy, passionate, and genuinely driven to help businesses succeed. Google review Alex Fladgate Owner, JunkBoss > Jason created our JunkBoss company website from start to finish. He always responded immediately, shared great ideas, and the final site looks spectacular!! > > Highly recommend to anyone looking to get their website done. Google review > “They took the time to understand our vision and business needs, translating them into a stunning, user-friendly website.” Dev Dhingra CEO, Fundmaster Isaac Smith Managing Director, PSI > Communication was insanely good, the work Jason provided me with was on a new level and blew me away. If you’re looking for someone who will go above and beyond for you then he is your man. Google review Tyler Newman Tillen Finance > From the start, Jason has taken the time to understand my business properly rather than just pushing a generic marketing setup. We’ve built out a new website, landing pages, CRM integration, Google Ads and Meta campaigns, and the attention to detail across everything has been excellent. > > What stands out most is his responsiveness and willingness to adapt quickly. Any time we’ve needed changes or seen something in the data, he’s on it straight away and is always looking for ways to improve performance rather than just letting campaigns run. > > The key difference is that he genuinely feels invested in the success of the business, not just running ads in the background. Google review > “He was really acting in our best interests and went beyond what we were expecting him to achieve.” Brianna Hoy Managing Director, PplPeople Fiona Ashford Manager, Fee Funders > When the finance company I manage, Fee Funders, changed ownership, Lucid Media took over all aspects of our IT and technology, and the impact has been outstanding. Jason quickly learned our legacy systems, implemented critical changes during the transition, and then led the development of our new software platform and reporting systems. > > Jason is exceptional across all areas of technology, both front-end and back-end. He’s practical, solutions-focused, and genuinely understands business needs as well as the technical side. Google review Lynnae Sands Manager, Windsor Industries > Jason has been awesome to work with over the last few months. Whenever we've had any sort of issue with our website, he is extremely prompt in resolving it. Very professional and helpful, I highly recommend. Google review > “Jason is exceptional, excellent communications, a highly motivated individual. Such rare traits - very happy with his development work for us!” Eddie Director, PlastiCard Joel D'leema Director, TSB Living > Jason has been awesome in the work he has done for us. He is fast, very responsive and professional. Would highly recommend. Google review J-Tip It Google review > The team at Lucid Media have provided excellent service while recently coming in to help position J-Tip It to where they need to be! > > We are absolutely blown away with their quick responses, smooth customer service and their initiative to stay 10-steps ahead at all times. Results are immediate and the cost is undeniably justified. > > If you want to be in safe hands, choose Lucid! Google review > “The site looks clean, professional, and easy to use. He made the whole process super simple and stress-free.” Aidan Fraei Agent, Ray White ## Frequently asked questions Straight answers to what people ask us about this. If yours isn't here, ask it below. [Get your free audit](https://www.lucidmedia.co.nz/solutions/losing-to-competitors/#booking) **How do I find out what my competitors are doing online?** Tools like Semrush, Ahrefs and Similarweb show a competitor's keyword rankings, estimated traffic and backlinks. You can also review their website, Google Ads and social media by hand. We run a full competitive analysis that benchmarks your online presence against your main competitors. **How long does it take to outrank competitors?** It depends on how far behind you are and how hard they are working. A local competitor with an old site can be passed sooner than a national brand with years of links and content behind it. After the analysis we tell you where you can realistically overtake them, and in what order. **Should I copy what my competitors are doing?** Don't copy them, but do learn from what is working for them. The goal is to understand their strengths and find the gaps they are missing. Doing what they do well, plus what they neglect, gives people a reason to choose you rather than a copy. **How much should I invest to compete online?** That depends on how competitive your industry is, how far behind you are and which channels matter in your market. We don't sell fixed packages. We quote after a free audit and competitor review, so the budget matches the gap you actually need to close. **What if my competitors have a much bigger budget?** Bigger budgets don't always win online. A smaller business can outperform a larger one by being more focused: targeting specific services and areas, building genuine local authority and writing better content than a competitor spreading money across broad campaigns. **How do I know if I am actually losing customers to competitors?** Check your search rankings for your key terms against theirs, and look at your organic traffic trend in Google Analytics. Ask new customers how they found you and who else they considered. If your rankings, traffic or leads are falling while competitors grow, you are losing ground. \+ Related ## Problems that often come with this one - [Not ranking on Google](https://www.lucidmedia.co.nz/solutions/not-ranking-on-google/) Customers search for what you do and find your competitors instead. - [Outdated website](https://www.lucidmedia.co.nz/solutions/outdated-website/) A dated site makes people wonder whether the business behind it is still current. - [Low conversion rate](https://www.lucidmedia.co.nz/solutions/low-conversion-rate/) People visit your website, but very few of them buy, book or get in touch. [All website problems we fix](https://www.lucidmedia.co.nz/solutions/) ## Find out where your competitors are beating you. Tell us about your site. We'll look at what is causing the problem and come back with a plain-English plan for fixing it. No obligation. Free consultation & quote Response within 24 hours No obligation to proceed [info@lucidmedia.co.nz](mailto:info@lucidmedia.co.nz) [+64 27 582 4369](tel:+64275824369)