Getting started with MarketBase takes less than a minute. Search for your business name, select it from the results, and you are in. No account connections, no API keys, no technical setup. MarketBase already knows your business is out there.
This guide walks you through what happens when you connect, what to expect in those first few days, and how your competitive picture comes together automatically.
In this article
- 1. How connecting your business works (search, select, done)
- 2. What MarketBase starts doing behind the scenes
- 3. How your market and competitors take shape
- 4. What to expect in your first week
Search, select, done
When you sign up for MarketBase, the first thing you will do is search for your business. Type your business name and location, and MarketBase shows you matching results. Select yours from the list. That is the entire setup process.
There is nothing to install, no accounts to link, and no passwords to hand over. MarketBase works with publicly available information, which means your online presence is already being tracked before you even arrive.
Tip
Search by your exact business name. If your business trades under a name that differs from your legal name, use the name customers see on Google. That is how MarketBase finds you.
What happens after you connect
The moment you select your business, MarketBase begins building your competitive picture. It analyses your online presence across nine marketing areas, covering everything from your Google Business Profile and reviews to your website quality and search visibility.
You will see initial information straight away, but the full picture takes a little time to assemble. MarketBase is gathering and comparing data across your entire local market, not just looking at your business in isolation. Some results come back quickly, others need a day or two.
Your market takes shape
One of the things that makes MarketBase different is the concept of your market. Your market is your specific combination of location and business type. A physiotherapist in Hamilton is not competing with physiotherapists in Queenstown. They are competing with the other physios nearby that locals might choose instead.
MarketBase identifies these competitors automatically. You do not need to tell us who they are. We already know which businesses operate in your area and category, and we score everyone on the same criteria so comparisons are fair.
Picture this
Sarah runs a nail salon in Tauranga. She signs up, searches her business name, and selects it from the list. Within moments she can see her Health Score and her rank among the other nail salons in her area.
She did not need to research who her competitors are. MarketBase already had 14 other nail salons in her market mapped and scored. She is 9th out of 15, and she can see exactly what the businesses above her are doing differently.
What to expect in the first few days
Be patient with the first 48 hours. Your dashboard will fill in progressively as MarketBase completes its analysis. Some scores and recommendations appear quickly. Others, like website performance data and search rankings, take a little longer.
By the end of your first week, you will have a complete picture: your Health Score across all nine areas, your rank among local competitors, and personalised recommendations showing you what to improve first.
Key point
Scores update regularly, not just once. MarketBase continuously monitors your market. As you make improvements and competitors change, your scores and rank update to reflect the current reality.
MarketBase is gathering and comparing data across your entire local market, not just looking at your business in isolation.
Your first steps after connecting
5 minutes today
- Search for your business and connect it to your MarketBase account
- Browse your initial scores and see where you sit in your market
15 minutes this week
- Check back once your full scores have populated and review your Health Score
- Read through your personalised recommendations and pick one to start with
- Explore your dashboard to see how scores, rank, and progress connect
Ongoing this month
- Work through your top three recommendations to start moving your scores
- Watch your rank shift as improvements take effect
You are already ahead
Most small businesses in New Zealand have no idea how they compare to their local competitors. By connecting your business to MarketBase, you already have something most of them do not: a clear picture of where you stand and a plan for what to do next.
If you have not explored the platform yet, start with Welcome to MarketBase for a broader overview, or jump straight to Navigating Your Dashboard to learn your way around.