Stop Copying Competitors

Whenever I scroll through LinkedIn or X, I can’t help but notice a pattern.

A brand goes viral for something. Maybe it’s a cool new website design, a high-converting landing page, or a clever ad format. 

Within weeks, I start seeing copycats pop up everywhere. Same structure, same layout, sometimes even the same exact wording.

It’s like when there’s a new fashion trend. 

Suddenly, every fast-fashion brand is churning out the same oversized blazer or chunky sneakers. But just because something looks good on someone else doesn’t mean it’s the right fit for you.

I’ve been guilty of this too. 

Early on, I’d see a competitor doing something that seemed to be working and think, 

That’s it. That’s the move. We need to do that too!

But then I’d implement it, and… crickets. No lift in conversions. Sometimes, performance even got worse.

Why? Because I didn’t understand the why behind the change.

That competitor might have had a completely different traffic source, audience behavior, or testing strategy that made that move work for them, but not for me. 

So by blindly copying, I wasn’t optimizing for my business. I was just playing a game of follow-the-leader without realizing the leader might be heading off a cliff.

So, instead of playing copycat, let’s talk about how to actually make smarter, more strategic moves.

The Problem with Copy-Pasting CRO Strategies

Copying a competitor’s strategy is easy, which is why trends spread so quickly. A brand rolls out a new website feature or checkout flow, and suddenly, others follow without questioning why it works. 

But replicating a change without understanding its reasoning, whether backed by data, tailored to a specific audience, or part of a larger strategy, can lead to wasted effort or worse performance. Instead of chasing what looks successful on the surface, breaking down why a competitor made a change and whether it fits your business is what actually drives results.

Here’s why:

1. The Full Picture is Always Bigger Than What You See

A competitor’s growth isn’t just the result of a new landing page or checkout flow. It’s often driven by factors that aren’t immediately visible, like influencer partnerships, paid media investment, or recent funding that fuels expansion. 

Without understanding these underlying drivers, copying their site changes in isolation won’t deliver the same results. 

A more effective approach is to analyze how their strategy fits into a broader growth plan and determine whether those tactics align with your own business model and customer behavior.

2. Copying a Test That Didn’t Work

Not every change a brand makes is a success. Many are experiments, and some fail. A competitor might roll out a flashy new site design, only to revert it a month later after seeing poor results. 

Blindly following along can lead to making the same mistakes they’re quietly fixing without tracking whether they kept the change.

3. Every Audience is Different

Even brands in the same industry attract different types of customers, each with their own expectations and buying habits. Some shoppers engage with long-form product pages and storytelling, while others prefer a streamlined checkout with minimal friction. Adopting a competitor’s strategy without analyzing how your own audience navigates the buying process can lead to misalignment and missed opportunities.

 Instead of assuming what works for another brand will work for yours, the focus should be on understanding customer behavior and optimizing for their specific needs.

4. Blending In Instead of Standing Out

When too many brands follow the same playbook, they start looking interchangeable. 

The same homepage layout, pricing table, and “Why Us” section will all become a blur. 

In an industry where differentiation drives attention, copying too much leads to becoming just another option rather than a brand worth remembering.

5. The Risk of Following a Bad Bet

Even the most successful brands make missteps, and following a competitor’s CRO strategy without understanding its impact can lead to costly mistakes. 

A change that looks effective from the outside might be based on flawed data, a short-term test, or an audience behavior that doesn’t match your own. Instead of adopting a competitor’s strategy at face value, the focus should be on analyzing why they made the change, what problem they were solving, and whether it aligns with your own customer journey. 

The strongest decisions come from understanding the drivers behind success, not just replicating surface-level tactics.

How to Analyze Competitors Without Falling into the Copy-Paste Trap

Monitoring competitors can provide valuable insights, but applying their strategies without context can backfire. 

What works for one brand doesn’t always translate to another, and success often depends on factors that aren’t immediately visible, like audience behavior, acquisition channels, or even backend logistics. 

Instead of mirroring changes without understanding the reasoning behind them, the focus should be on breaking down why certain strategies work and whether they align with your own business goals.

Not Every Competitor is Worth Watching

Some competitors are worth studying. Others are just noise. The key is knowing which ones matter:

• Direct Competitors operate in the same space, selling similar products to the same audience.

• Indirect Competitors solve the same problems in different ways, offering insights that a direct competitor might miss.

• Aspirational Competitors are a step ahead in growth, giving a glimpse into what’s working at the next level.

A brand selling apparel doesn’t need to limit its focus to other clothing brands. 

Subscription-based and DTC companies serving the same audience often provide just as many useful insights.

Breaking Down Their CRO & UX Strategies Without Copying

Instead of chasing every change a competitor makes, take a step back and look at the logic behind their choices. 

The details that shape customer experience tell a bigger story:

• Navigation & Site Structure should make browsing seamless and intuitive.

• Checkout Process can reveal whether a one-step or multi-step approach works better.

• Page Speed & Performance impact how long a customer stays on-site.

• Product Pages show how they present information, whether through UGC, video, or detailed descriptions.

• Pricing & Discounts indicate whether they focus on bundles, subscriptions, or one-time purchases.

• Mobile vs. Desktop UX should be optimized for a smooth experience across all devices.

Copying without context leads to mistakes. A competitor might have a sleek, minimalist checkout, but if their cart abandonment rate is high, following their lead could cause more harm than good. 

Instead of assuming something is effective, look for friction points in your own funnel and test what actually moves the needle.

Messaging and Positioning Matter Just as Much

CRO isn’t just about UX. How a brand communicates plays a major role in conversions.

• Unique Value Proposition (UVP) determines whether they lean on speed, price, quality, or another selling point.

• Tone & Brand Voice could be authoritative, playful, casual, or luxury-focused.

• Objection Handling happens in FAQs, product descriptions, and support content.

A competitor’s aggressive call-to-action might work for their audience but feel out of place for yours. Copying their approach without considering audience behavior can weaken brand identity instead of strengthening conversions. 

The goal is to refine your messaging.

Tracking Competitor Experiments Without Guessing

Most brands don’t publish A/B test results, but patterns still emerge over time. 

A few ways to track what’s working:

• Watching for layout changes using tools like Wayback Machine or VisualPing.

• Signing up for competitor email lists to track subject lines, offers, and campaign flows.

• Noting shifts in checkout processes or call-to-action placements.

A competitor switching to a one-click checkout doesn’t guarantee success. Without data, there’s no way to know if it improved conversions or tanked them. 

Using their changes as inspiration rather than a roadmap allows for smarter, data-backed decisions.

10 Unconventional CRO Strategies That Drive Higher Conversions

Following best practices can improve conversions, but sometimes, breaking the rules works even better. 

Here are ten counterintuitive CRO strategies that have delivered unexpected results.

1. “Ugly” Design That Converts Better Than Modern Aesthetics

Sleek, polished websites aren’t always the best for conversions. In some industries, a more outdated or cluttered look builds trust.

Case Study: 

• A/B tests showed that in financial services, legal, and home repair industries, “ugly” websites with minimal design or outdated layouts often outperformed sleek, high-end designs.

Why It Works: 

• A raw, straightforward design can feel more trustworthy. High-end design can sometimes signal higher prices or make a brand feel less approachable.

2. Slowing Down the Buying Process for High-End Products

While most brands try to remove friction, luxury brands often do the opposite—making purchases more exclusive by adding extra steps.

Case Study:

• Rolex, Aston Martin, and bespoke furniture brands have experimented with longer checkout processes, required consultations, and gated pricing.

Why It Works: 

• Exclusivity increases perceived value. Making customers wait or work a little more makes the purchase feel more significant.

3. Using an Absurdly High Price to Make the Mid-Tier Option More Attractive

Introducing a premium, almost ridiculous pricing tier can boost conversions for lower-tier options.

Case Study: 

• A SaaS company launched a $10,000/month enterprise plan that very few purchased. However, it significantly increased conversions for the $500/month plan.

Why It Works: 

• Price anchoring. When a high-end option is present, mid-tier options appear to be a better deal, even if the highest-tier plan rarely sells.

4. Polarizing Messaging That Sparks Stronger Engagement

Not every brand should try to please everyone. Some brands grow faster by embracing a bold, divisive tone.

Case Study: 

• Brands like Liquid Death, Dr. Squatch, and Oatly built strong communities by leaning into irreverent, opinionated messaging.

Why It Works: 

• Emotional reactions drive engagement. Strong opinions create loyal customers who are more likely to advocate for the brand.

5. Hiding the CTA to Increase Engagement

Removing the obvious next step might seem risky, but in some cases, it leads to better results.

Case Study: 

• A travel website removed its "Book Now" button from the homepage, forcing users to explore before seeing pricing options.

Why It Works: 

• This approach kept visitors on the site longer, built trust, and made users feel more invested in the decision, ultimately leading to higher conversions.

6. Skipping Over-Optimization in Favor of Direct Checkout

Overloading customers with product details can sometimes do more harm than good.

Case Study: 

• An e-commerce brand tested sending 30% of product page visitors directly to the cart after viewing a product for 5+ seconds.

Why It Works: 

• Customers with purchase intent don’t always need more information. They need a nudge to act. Reducing unnecessary steps led to a frictionless checkout.

7. Personal Follow-Ups Instead of Automated Emails

Replacing automated sequences with real human outreach can significantly improve response rates.

Case Study: 

• A high-ticket coaching business replaced abandoned cart email sequences with personal, text-like follow-ups from real team members.

Why It Works: 

• People engage more with real human interaction. A casual, personalized message often outperforms polished, automated emails.

8. Removing Discounts to Attract Higher-Value Customers

Discounts are usually seen as an easy way to boost conversions, but in some cases, removing them increases customer lifetime value.

Case Study: 

• A subscription box company eliminated first-time buyer discounts and saw an increase in retention and long-term revenue.

Why It Works: 

• Discounts attract deal-seekers who are more likely to churn. Removing them brought in customers who valued the product itself rather than just the price.

9. Overwhelming Social Proof Instead of Subtle Testimonials

A few testimonials can help conversions, but an extreme amount of social proof can create an even stronger effect.

Case Study: 

• A brand flooded its product page with hundreds of real customer reviews and user-generated content instead of just a few curated testimonials.

Why It Works: 

• The sheer volume of positive feedback created an “everyone is buying this” effect, reducing hesitation and increasing trust.

10. Creating Urgency by Limiting When People Can Buy

Instead of offering products year-round, some brands have increased sales by making purchasing time-sensitive.

Case Study: 

• A DTC brand only allowed purchases for 48 hours per month. Instead of decreasing sales, this scarcity tactic led to a significant spike in conversions.

• Why It Works: 
  Urgency and FOMO (fear of missing out) push customers to act quickly. Knowing they only have a short window to buy increases the likelihood of conversion.

Following conventional CRO advice isn’t always the best move. 

What works for competitors may not work for every business, and sometimes, going against the grain is the smartest way to stand out.

Final Thoughts

Personalization sounds like an easy win. 

Make the experience feel custom, and people will engage more, buy more, and keep coming back. 

But if the “personalized” stuff isn’t useful, it’s just extra clutter.

The focus should be on surfacing the right information at the right moment. 

What do customers actually need when they land on the homepage? 

What’s stopping them from making a purchase?

A better next step is reframing personalization as problem-solving. 

• If repeat customers hesitate before checking out, highlight past orders where they can see them. 

• If rewards points drive conversions, make sure they aren’t buried. 

• If auto-replenish isn’t catching on, the issue might not be the placement. It might be that customers don’t see the value.

The best experiences guide customers without them realizing it, surfacing what they need before they even go looking for it. 

If they’re thinking about how to find what they need, it’s already too complicated.

Looking forward,

Brian

P.S. If you’re looking to leverage CRO to improve your revenue, give us a shout.